Deadpool 3 "doesn’t necessarily need to be R-Rated" according to the director

Deadpool
(Image credit: Disney (Fox))

Deadpool is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), though recent comments from director David Leitch may have some wondering whether The Merc With a Mouth might have to scale back his trademark brand of potty-mouthed humour and gratuitous violence if Deadpool 3 ever comes to pass.

Leitch, who recently helmed Hobbs & Shaw, told Yahoo that “[Deadpool] doesn’t necessarily need to be R-Rated” as he believes “that’s not necessarily the MCU brand.”

However, that’s not the end of the discussion – not by a long shot. Leitch feels there’s room for pushback, telling the publication: “Disney doesn’t necessarily only need to make PG-13 movies. I think we’ll find a happy [middle] ground.”

Could Deadpool work in the MCU without an R-Rating? Once Upon a Time in Deadpool – the recent late 2018 re-release of Deadpool 2 – shows that there’s room for Ryan Reynolds’ fourth-wall breaking character to cool his chimichangas slightly and tone down the more over-the-top aspects of the franchise.

Deadpool 3 hasn’t yet been confirmed. It wasn’t even name-checked as part of Marvel’s series of San Diego Comic-Con 2019 announcements, despite Fantastic Four getting a mention, as well as Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, also making a passing reference to “mutants.”

Plans are surely in the works, though, for a threequel. Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed during a Disney investor call this week (via Buzzfeed’s Adam B. Vary), that X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool are all now officially part of Marvel Studios. Deadpool’s first two movies, meanwhile, were both huge box-office hits, making a combined $1.5 billion. In short: Disney would be leaving money on the table. And Disney likes money.

Despite its family-friendly image, R-Ratings wouldn’t be new territory for the House of Mouse. The last Disney R-Rated movie, The Fifth Estate starring Benedict Cumberbatch, arrived back in 2013. It’s not an impossibility to suggest Deadpool 3 could be next in line, though it may not be the cast-iron guarantee that may have been expected.

For more on the MCU's future plans, here's everything coming in Marvel Phase 4.

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.