While known for their blockbuster, saving-the-world narratives and often billion-dollar grossing earnings, given their costs and expectations, superhero films frequently have a reputation for the way studios often interfere in their making, the endless noting, the insistence of reshoots and sometimes, even the sidelining of the director (see “Thor: Dark World” filmmaker Alan Taylor who has said in the past that Marvel effectively locked him out of the editing process).
One filmmaker, however, apparently left to his own devices recently is Shawn Levy. In a new interview, the director said Marvel Studios was more than willing to let him and Ryan Reynolds make “Deadpool & Wolverine” exactly as they “dreamed.” Speaking to The Associated Press, Levy said he wasn’t about to mess with the “Deadpool” franchise formula but that Marvel encouraged him to make the film he and Ryan Reynolds had set out to make.
READ MORE: Shawn Levy Says ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Is “Not ‘Deadpool 3′” & A Two-Hander Adventure
“There was no way I was going to reinvent a wheel, a tonal wheel, that works so beautifully,” Levy explained about the formula, but added that, “Both Disney and Marvel, up and down the food chain, empowered Ryan and I to make this movie exactly as we dreamed.”
“It’s a really interesting duo,” Levy said about the tension between the two heroes. “They’re built for huge conflict with each other because they’re so different individually. But that makes for a very interesting story because the best two-hander stories, whether it’s ‘Midnight Run’ or ’48 Hours’ or ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,’ yes, it’s littered with conflict. But it’s ultimately about something more as well, and that’s what audiences will see.”
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” the initial Super Bowl trailer, is apparently the most-watched trailer of all time, with 365 million views. Speculation is through the roof on the film, with dozens and dozens of online rumors about cameos. While Levy himself has teased some of the cameos—and many have been spotted in the most recent trailer if you take an eagle-eyed look—he said the speculation and the pressure to perform is ultimately a good problem to have.
“The rumors around this movie are overwhelming,” Levy admitted. “But so is the anticipation, which is a nice situation.”
Levy also said the film greatly benefited from Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds being friends offscreen.
“You can try crazy stuff without fear of falling, he explained about this built-in safety net. “Because some of it won’t work, and that will be momentarily embarrassing, but if you’re among friends, it’s okay to make a fool of yourself in the pursuit of something surprising and something unexpected. This movie is filled with moments, both comedic and character based, that we didn’t expect and were the result of a freedom that that came from being friends.”
How much of the style and humor from the previous two movies will be present in “Deadpool & Wolverine?” Well, it’s definitely R-rated, so not that much is expected to change. Either way, we’ll find out when “Deadpool & Wolverine” slashes its way into theatres on July 26, 2024.