On January 28, Ryan Reynolds sent out a tweet that got the internet racing. In an attempt to raise further awareness for #BellLet’sTalk, an online drive to normalize discussing mental health issues, he let slip what the concept for Deadpool 3 would’ve been, before Disney bought Fox. As the star, producer, and main creative force behind the film, Reynolds would’ve been clued-in on what the threequel’s concept would’ve been, and turns out it’s weirder than anyone anticipated.
In the tweet, Reynold commented “before Disney bought Fox, Deadpool 3 was gonna be a road trip between Deadpool and Logan. Rashomon style. For real.” While many assumed this was a joke (sardonic throwaway comments like this are right within Reynolds’ wheelhouse), DisInsider (an ultra-reliable leaker) confirmed that this was totally serious and the actual plan before the merger – Fox really was planning to have a road-trip movie between Deadpool and Wolverine. Of course, after finally finding out this abandoned idea, fans felt bittersweet: they were glad they now knew, but disappointed that they would never see such an outrageous film.
But how would have this idea even worked? Even for a movie that takes such meta-narrative liberties as Deadpool (which other superhero films would both break the fourth wall and show R-rated violence in the process?), the idea of Wolverine returning is a charged one. Famously, Hugh Jackman retired the role in 2017’s Logan, after playing the character for 17 years – would he really return as Wolverine, especially after Logan’s fitting farewell?
Well, some fans think this description is only telling half the truth: in that, instead of being on a road trip with Wolverine, Deadpool would actually be on a road trip with Jackman himself, although would only ever refer to him as ‘Logan’. The previous two Deadpool movies have had plenty of cracks at Jackman, such as Deadpool wearing a mask of his face when from he won ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ or even cameoing with him in 2009’s much-maligned X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so the idea Jackman would be playing himself is both plausible and incredibly on-brand for the franchise. Moreover, given Jackman’s super-shredded physique, he wouldn’t need an in-universe superpower: he could probably already beat baddies to a pulp.
But what about the road trip element? In the comics, both Deadpool and Wolverine go on plenty of road trips. Famously, Wolverine, as ‘Old Man Logan’, goes on a commute of ‘Battleworld’ when the multiverse is destroyed on Earth-21923. Facing alternate versions of countless heroes and villains (including Hillbilly Hulks and a Thor Police Force), the character hunts down and kills ‘God Emperor Doom’, the imperialist leader of this false world. Equally, Deadpool is known to go on road adventures with many of his ‘friends’, most recently Spider-Man in Vol.8 of the Spider-Man/Deadpool series. So how would have this road trip worked? The answer lies within “Rashomon style.”
A ‘Rashomon-style’ story is one where the same event is recounted by several characters, each adding their own inimitable perspective, so that the stories differ so much they’re impossible to reconcile. This style of storytelling is evident throughout TV and film, usually in mystery genres (think about how 2019’s Knives Out includes the different accounts from the Thrombey family, or how 2014’s The Affair shows different perspectives of the affair) – it’s a way of either building tension or supplying comedy.
Needless to say, a ‘Rashomon-style’ film is one that plays with non-linear storytelling, but that isn’t a new concept for the Deadpool franchise. From the first film including alternating plot threads (simultaneously showing Deadpool’s origin and how he’s hunting down his ‘makers’) to its sequel messing around with time travel with Cable, this franchise is already poised to deal with ‘Rashomon-style’ storytelling. In fact, since ‘Rashomon-style’ can sometimes be confusing to viewers, Deadpool 3 would be the perfect place to use it, as the ‘Merc with a Mouth’ could simply talk to the audience directly to explain any complexities!
So, what could the ‘Rashomon-style’ storytelling be in regard to? One prevalent fan theory is that Deadpool and ‘Logan’ are on the run from some nefarious force, with the film beginning ‘in media res’ so as not to explain the set-up to the viewer. Then, as Deadpool and ‘Logan’ drive along, they argue over what caused this force to be after them, with each one’s perspective blaming the other for the predicament.
Although simple in premise, this suggested plot does utilize Logan, Deadpool, a road trip, and ‘Rashomon-style’ in a convincing way, so perhaps could’ve been the answer. Nevertheless, whatever that initial idea was, Deadpool 3 will now officially be part of the MCU and Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, (a sister script-writing pair moistly known for their work on Bob's Burgers) will be penning a brand new screenplay; if there is a ‘road trip’ in Deadpool 3, it’s up to them.