David Pierdomenico
It’s no secret that studios have always been apprehensive towards an “R” rated blockbuster. It makes sense. “PG-13” films can be seen by a wider audience and therefore lead to more box office potential. It’s the reason why sequels and spinoffs like Alien VS Predator, Live Free or Die Hard, and Expendables 3 were given this rating, despite their previous entries being “R”. So in the world of “family-friendly” superhero sagas, it was a complete taboo to even considering doing one with an edgy “R” rating. Enter Deadpool:
Deadpool: Origins
Originally appearing in New Mutants #98 (Feb 1991), Deadpool’s genesis was far from typical. The age of superheroes oozing in morality and righteousness had diminished in the decade since Richard Donner’s Superman and a new type of hero, or anti-hero was gaining traction. Only two years prior to his emergence, Tim Burton’s Batman captivated audiences and created a demand for a darker and grittier protagonist. Initially Deadpool was even a villain, but due to his immense sarcasm and likability, he transitioned to more a heroic role; the type of fun-but-flawed hero many of us can relate to. He even made a few appearances in the X-Men and Spider-Man cartoons of the 1990s. But it wasn’t until the 2000s, that the entire world would know his name. Though at first, it wasn’t for a good reason.
Deadpool gets his name from the fifth film in the Dirty Harry series, about another famous anti-hero.
The Long Journey to Film
To say that Deadpool’s first film appearance was disastrous would be a gross understatement. The only thing X-Men Origins: Wolverine did correctly was cast Ryan Reynolds in the role of Wade Wilson.
To be fair, before his “transformation” in the film, we do see tiny glimpses of the potential the character had. But for some reason, 20th Century Fox and director Gavin Hood decided that the “merc with a mouth” should be completely silent and given a myriad of powers Deadpool never had. It seems that they believed the name alone was enough to convey an accurate portrayal of a character so loved by many.
But in a strange way, this abysmal depiction may not have been entirely detrimental. It galvanized fans, as well as Reynolds himself to demand better. And for the next 7 years, they petitioned until the studio was ready to listen. It finally took test footage being “mistakenly leaked” for the studio to realized that audiences would demand nothing less than an accurate, “R” rated portrayal of Deadpool.
We’ll never be able to prove it was Reynolds or Deadpool director Tim Miller that leaked the footage, but we all know don’t we? The fans had spoken, and a project that Reynolds had pursued for the better part of a decade was finally getting made, albeit with a much smaller budget.
One of these is a beloved hero, and the other is an abomination that Fox thought would be a good idea. But in recognizing the past, audiences wouldn’t have gotten such a faithful Deadpool adaption without the studio having to screw it up first.
The Secret To Its Success
$58 million certainly seems like a great deal of money. So to say that Deadpool had a small budget seems strange. However when one considers this is only half the budget of X2, a third the budget of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and only one quarter the budget of X-Men: The Last Stand, it really puts things into perspective, especially when considering the fact that it outgrossed every single other X-Men film in the series, including earning $50 million more than Days of Future Past, which is the next highest grossing film.
It’s quite clear that Fox had little confidence with Deadpool going forward, and they can’t be blamed for their trepidation. An “R” rated superhero film, especially one connected to a series that was supposed to be “kid-friendly” was unheard of. But the reasons it succeeded are the very components the studio overlooked.
Superhero films don’t always have to solely aim at kids. A film like this in the 90s surely would have flopped but in 2016 many fans had grown up on X-Men and Deadpool in the 90s and were now in their 20’s and 30’s. And they turned out in droves to see a comic book film unlike any other. The DC Extended Universe has been accused of being took dark and gritty, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been accused of being too light hearted. Deadpool offered the perfect happy medium between the two. A film that was violent, entertaining, hilarious, but also quite dark was just what audiences were demanding. Many fans never believed they would see this film come to fruition, and due to this underdog factor, it meant so much more to them when it finally was released. And because of all this, it showed in the box office performance when it grossed 13 times its budget.
Part of the CGI test footage Tim Miller put together to present to Fox what a Deadpool film would look like. They initially ignored it until someone leaked the footage online and fans demanded the studio go forward with the project. Well played Deadpool…
How It Changed Film Forever
To be fair, Deadpool was not at all the first “R” rated comic book film. Blade, 300, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Sin City, Spawn, and many others came before it. The difference, however, was that this film was part of a series that had included such “kid-friendly” films as the rest of the X-Men series, which made it all the more significant.
Its success proved to Fox, as well as all studios and fans, that superhero films can be aimed at adults. Because of it, audiences were treated to an “R” rated Logan, which held absolutely nothing back in its bleak portrayal of Wolverine’s finale as well as a dark and bloody adaptation of The Killing Joke.
Some feared that this would result in a shift for the entire genre, and that only adult-themed superhero movies would be released. But so far that hasn’t been the case. There is still room for the “PG-13” superhero in a world of Deadpools. If anything, it’s expanded the genre to include subgenres never thought possible. Fox is even now working on a New Mutants film, which is supposed to be a horror film. This may even lead to superhero-slasher films which could appeal to even more audiences. The ultimate effect Deadpool has had is showing us that all things are possible.
The Future of Deadpool
With only one film down, and the sequel being released this week, hopefully there’s a lot left for Deadpool to do in films. Though at this point, his future remains somewhat uncertain. If the X-Men and Fantastic Four characters revert back to Marvel as per the Disney deal, it’s very unlikely Disney would keep Deadpool as inappropriate as he is, as well as no guarantee they wouldn’t recast the role. However the Disney deal is far from final. Comcast is still making attempts to purchase 20th Century Fox, simply to keep Disney from becoming an entertainment monopoly. Even if it does go through, it would be interesting to see him with the rest of the Avengers. Conversely, Deadpool seems more fit to hang out with the Guardians of the Galaxy due to their similar sense of humor. It might also be strange considering Josh Brolin plays Thanos in the MCU and Cable in Deadpool 2. But ultimately it will depend greatly on how this sequel performs and whether or not studios are still willing to take great risks as Fox did when they greenlit the first one.
However, speaking for all fans, hopefully this is far from the last time we’ll see Reynolds play the character.
Admit it, we’d all love to see Josh Brolin fight himself in an epic Deadpool/Avengers crossover!
