“Deadpool & Wolverine,” as polarizing as it is, does give the Marvel Cinematic Universe several new things. It creates a true connection between the MCU’s movies and 20th Century Fox’s Marvel movies — leading to several great and not-so-great cameos. It also brings a level of over-the-top and gory violence that the franchise hasn’t done before (for obvious reasons), like when a beloved actor in a not-so-beloved role gets their skin graphically peeled off.
But with Deadpool as a character comes something else: a constant stream of profanity and filthy jokes. This is what led to Kevin Feige being forced to explain the concept of pegging to other Marvel execs, and a joke deemed too filthy for Disney. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, director Shawn Levy talked about the one joke Disney asked him and his creative team to change. “The general rule is to never punch down and to only take the piss out of people who can take it,” Levy explained. “There was only one line in the entire movie that we were asked to change.”
Unfortunately, Levy and Ryan Reynolds made a pact “to go to our grave with that line,” but he did explain what it was replaced by. “An equally dirty line of dialogue about Pinocchio shoving his face up Deadpool’s ass and starting to lie like crazy. I was like, ‘Ryan, that’s your replacement line in response to, ‘Can we clean it up?” That’s Ryan Reynolds for you, audacious to the very edge.”
Deadpool & Wolverine’s best jokes, explained
“I really want to underscore that because, as an MCU fan, I remember hearing rumors about how much control directors get at Marvel,” Levy added. “This movie — it’s by far the biggest movie I’ve ever made — it may very well be the most creative autonomy I’ve ever had.”
The other big thing that Deadpool as a character brings to the MCU is his constant breaking of the fourth wall. Sure, we saw some of it with “She-Hulk,” but Deadpool takes it to another level with his self-deprecating jokes and his constant mocking of every institution involved with his existence. In “Deadpool & Wolverine,” we see this when Deadpool takes jabs at the MCU and its sharp drop in quality in recent years, and even some jokes about Kevin Feige himself.
Sure, having a Disney movie joke about itself and how it’s released bad movies recently feels more like the joke is on the audience for supporting them through their failures. Still, it’s nevertheless impressive that Marvel and Disney let “Deadpool & Wolverine” so openly bite the hand that feeds it. Indeed, with what they managed to get away with, it’s hard not to wonder what, exactly, was the joke that proved too much for Disney, yet more acceptable than a Pinocchio sex joke.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is currently playing in theaters.