Ryan Reynolds told Shawn Levy he'd only do another Deadpool movie if he directed it

Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine
(Image credit: Marvel)

Ryan Reynolds had a major condition to put on his Deadpool suit once again: hiring Shawn Levy. The pair had collaborated on several movies, including Free Guy and The Adam Project, leading Reynolds to take a gamble on him being the perfect man for the job.

"So I’m shooting The Adam Project with Ryan up in Vancouver," Shawn Levy says in an interview in the new issue of SFX magazine, which hits newsstands on July 10 and features Doctor Who on the cover. "And he says, 'Okay, I know you're going to say no, but I'll only do Deadpool again if you direct it.' I told him I'd love to direct that movie, because the truth is, if you work in the big-canvas filmmaking space, as I have since those Night at the Museum movies, it's a dream to be able to tell a story on that kind of epic and anthemic canvas."

Not only this, Levy adds, but he was a big fan of the MCU, and in particular these characters. "I've always been a fan of Marvel movies, and I was already a fan of Deadpool and a huge fan of Wolverine, so the opportunity to join the Deadpool franchise but to do something notably different was compelling," the director shares.

Deadpool and Wolverine will mark Reynolds' sweary, violent superhero's introduction to the MCU. And from what we've seen so far in various trailers and footage so far, it's going to be quite the R-rated welcoming.

Naturally, Marvel is playing its cards close to their chest about what exactly will go down in his team-up with Hugh Jackman's clawed mutant Wolverine. But we at least have a pretty good idea of the premise. 

Set several years after Deadpool 2, we meet Wade Wilson living a quiet life before he's taken in by the Time Variance Authority for a new mission. Here, he encounters Matthew Macfadyen's Paradox who gets him to team up with Wolverine to save the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Not a subscriber to SFX? Then head on over here to get the latest issues sent directly to your home/device!

Deadpool & Wolverine is in UK cinemas from July 25 and US theaters from July 26. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Doctor Who on the cover and is available from Wednesday, July 10. 

For even more from SFX, sign up to our newsletter, which delivers all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox.

If you want to get more up to speed on Marvel, check out our guides to how to watch the Marvel movies in order and all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way.

Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.