Given that you don't typically see Deadpool palling around with Captain America, Spider-Man, the Hulk or any of Marvel's other more mainstream day-savers and do-gooders, you could be excused for not knowing if Wade Wilson's alter-ego is part of their same superhero camp. Toss in the fact the “Merc with a Mouth” is as infamous for firing off obscenities as his dual pistols, and the antihero might even feel right at home in one of DC Comics' darker takes on the genre, like 2021's R-rated The Suicide Squad.
But while Deadpool's adult-aimed antics – which are currently blowing up the box office in Deadpool & Wolverine – would seemingly fit in among the likes of Harley Quinn's more mature shenanigans, the mutant mercenary is a Marvel Comics creation. That's right: Deadpool is, in fact, a Marvel character, who also happens to have made his official Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Deadpool & Wolverine. For all the intel on this subversive superhero's Marvel origins and his long, X-Men-fueled path to the MCU, read on.
Too Long, Didn't Read summary:
• Due to their R ratings and more mature takes on the superhero genre, fans often question whether the Deadpool films are part of DC's darker stable of films rather than Marvel's family-friendly universe.
• This issue is further complicated by the fact Ryan Reynold's Deadpool hasn't appeared alongside The Avengers or any other popular characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
• Of course, Deadpool is, in fact, not only an original Marvel Comics' creation, but also now an official part of the MCU with the release of Deadpool & Wolverine.
Deadpool's Marvel Origins
If you were first introduced to the fourth wall-breaking hero through 2016's Deadpool, you might be surprised to discover the wise-cracking merc was spawned nearly 30 years earlier. Spilled from the imaginations of comic book creatives Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in Marvel Comics' "New Mutants #98" issue, in the winter of 1990.
The character's immediate popularity in the comic book led to him regularly popping up in other Marvel Comics series, such as The Avengers and Daredevil. These guest appearances eventually led to Deadpool starring in a number of comic book spin-offs and mini-series and, eventually, headlining his very own series. His self-titled run kicked off in 1997, and continues to this day.
Deadpool's X-Men Movies' Connection
But you needn't have been a fan of Marvel's paneled page in the late aughts to be familiar with Wade Wilson and his spandex-sporting alter-ego. Long before Marvel Studios redefined the concept of a superhero-powered cinematic universe, 20th Century Fox found success putting capes and cowls on the silver screen with its popular X-Men films. Kicking off with 2000's X-Men, the franchise featured popular Marvel heroes and villains – like Wolverine and Magneto – nearly a decade before Robert Downey Jr. donned Iron Man's suit and the MCU was established.
20th Century Fox's fourth entry in the series, 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine, introduced Ryan Reynold's Deadpool in a supporting role. While that movie's version of the Katana-wielding character is a bit different than the one we know today, it ultimately led to Reynold's not only reprising the role, but also starring in his own spin-off series within the larger X-Men franchise.
So while 20th Century Fox would continue to churn out X-Men films, such as 2011 prequel X-Men: First Class, the studio also gave fans 2016's Deadpool and its 2018 sequel, Deadpool 2. Marvel's cinematic universe was, of course, already in full swing by the time the first Deadpool film started breaking box office records, but Fox still held the film rights to the breakout character.
Deadpool's Marvel Cinematic Universe Debut
Deadpool was very much a Marvel character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and in his pair of self-titled movies, but he still wasn't officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet. That changed in 2019, when Disney officially acquired Fox, affording Marvel Studios – also owned by Disney – the opportunity to bring Deadpool into the MCU fold. That acquisition also gave Marvel the rights to its X-Men and Fantastic Four characters.
This all brings us to the recently released, record-breaking Deadpool & Wolverine, which pulls double-duty, working as both a sequel to the previous two Ryan Reynolds-fronted Deadpool films, as well as the mutated merc's official debut in the MCU. Going forward, Wade Wilson – and his X-Men family – will properly reflect their Marvel Comics' roots by appearing in Marvel Studios' branded movies.
So while Deadpool & Wolverine's R-rated antics might seem a more appropriate fit for DC's sometimes-darker take on the genre, and 20th Century Fox's previous rights to the characters may confuse the matter further, you can rest assured Reynolds' obscenity-spewing, fourth wall-obliterating superhero is as much a treasured Marvel character as any of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
