Despite the massive success of Deadpool & Wolverine, which raked in $1.338 billion and was the highest-grossing rated R film of all time, Ryan Reynolds made it clear that he didn’t think another solo Deadpool film would happen anytime soon. But, he never said anything about not getting another Deadpool team-up film. Now, we know why: per The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds is quietly crafting the Merc with a Mouth’s return—and if he gets his way, the katana-wielding hero will be stepping out alongside his fellow mutant counterparts (maybe fulfilling Deadpool’s dream of joining Professor Charles Xavier’s X-Men team).
THR states, “Reynolds is quietly plotting his return to the character, but true to his word, it won’t be as the lead of a solo movie.”
In 2024, he told Andrew Garfield for Variety’s Actors on Actors, “I see Deadpool as a supporting character much more than he is a main [character] or at the center. We center him sometimes because they want, that’s what they want. But you can’t center him unless you take everything away from him. You have to create a situation where he’s so much the underdog. And I don’t think I can do that again. If he comes back, I think he’s going to be in someone else’s movie. Channing Tatum is so excited to play Gambit, I would happily be the fifth banana in his movie or anybody else’s.”
The THR exclusive indicates that Reynolds is toying with concepts for a Deadpool film incorporating X-Men characters while he continues to focus on writing the Paramount comedy, Boy Band. He has prioritized writing this year, allowing him to delve deeper into new projects before taking on his usual commitments.
The multi-hyphenate is reportedly developing various concepts for an ensemble movie that would feature three or four X-Men characters. “Deadpool would of course appear, but perhaps only as a supporting player,” reports THR. “Reynolds is said to believe that keeping his f-bomb-wielding anti-hero more on the sidelines could allow for the X-Men characters to be used in unexpected ways. Reynolds has been open about every Deadpool movie needing a strong reason to exist, and it’s possible this could provide the avenue he needs.”
As for the specific X-Men characters that Reynolds might include, it remains a mystery. However, it’s worth noting that Oscar-nominated star Cynthia Erivo, whom Reynolds honored alongside Ariana Grande at the National Board of Review in January 2025, has expressed her desire to portray Storm in the MCU, though any such casting decisions, of course, would ultimately rest with Marvel (and as we already know, Halle Berry is the one X-Men actor who hasn’t already been confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday).
Reynolds is no stranger to the X-Men universe, with Deadpool & Wolverine featuring villains like Sabertooth (Tyler Mane) and Pyro (Aaron Stanford), and iconic X-Men like Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) having made appearances in all three Deadpool films. Not to mention that Reynolds, who’s a BFF with Hugh Jackman, managed to coax the Wolverine actor out of retirement.
Additionally, he crafted a part for Channing Tatum, who had long been linked to a Gambit movie that ultimately fell through at Fox, in Deadpool 3. Tatum is set to join the Doomsday cast, alongside familiar faces from the original Fox X-Men franchise like Sir Patrick Stewart (Prof. X), Sir Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique).
At this stage, it’s all still in the early planning phase, and Reynolds, known for his creative tinkering, is working independently from the studio. It’s not uncommon for him to explore numerous ideas before finding the right fit; prior to Deadpool & Wolverine, one of his concepts for Deadpool 3 was a budget-friendly road trip flick.
This potential project is separate from the X-Men film currently being developed for Marvel Studios by Hunger Games writer Michael Lesslie.
