Disney confirms that the X-Men and Fantastic Four will join the MCU and that Deadpool will stay R rated

You may have heard a little something about Disney buying up Fox’s entertainment assets. So, what does that mean for the overflowing Marvel Cinematic Universe? Thankfully, the House of Mouse has confirmed straight away just what will be joining the MCU and – as a nice little cherry on top of a corporate, dystopian cake – Deadpool will remain an R-rated franchise.

Speaking on a conference call to investors, Deadline is reporting that Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that “they’re looking forward to expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe to include X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool.”

Name-checking that specific triumvirate of franchises and the MCU must surely mean big plans are a-foot. I’m still ambivalent about the whole thing (Deadpool should remain completely separate if I had my way) but it’s going to be an interesting next half-decade or so, that’s for sure. I hope you’re looking forward to a Marvel movie every 6 weeks for the next twenty years.

Talking of Deadpool, Bob Iger also addressed its R-Rated status. Unfortunately, he didn’t drop a bunch of f-bombs when speaking to 21st Century Fox investors but he did say “there might be an opportunity for a Marvel-R brand for something like Deadpool. As long as we let the audiences know what's coming, we think we can manage that fine," according to THR.

While not quite as definitive as the MCU news, Deadpool has a solid reputation already for more risqué humour. There’s no reason why the Disney can’t hang their R-Rated hopes on the Merc with a Mouth. Next stop: Mickey Mouse calling Goofy a ******* **** ****** ******

Image: Marvel/Disney (duh, they own everything now)

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.