Ryan Reynolds Explains Why Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Will Not Break the Fourth Wall in Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine may be bringing Hugh Jackman’s iconic X-Men character into both his first Deadpool and MCU movie, but don’t expect the character to follow the Merc with a Mouth in breaking the fourth wall. In a lengthy interview with Vanity Fair, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds had some disappointing news for any fans expecting to be addressed directly by Wolverine in the upcoming Marvel movie, as that is something reserved just for the main man himself.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Release Date

July 26, 2024

Studio

Marvel Studios, 20th Century Studios, 21 Laps Entertainment

Tagline

Everyone deserves a happy ending.

Franchise

Marvel

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Reynolds, who plays the titular anti-hero in his third outing (we don’t count the movie that shall not be named), explained exactly why there will be no fourth wall-breaking happening for Jackman’s adamantium-clawed hero. He said:

“There are rules. Very specific rules. You would diminish the stakes in the film if everyone—or even anyone else—was also aware of the fourth wall or any kind of meta aspect. Deadpool is the only character who has that ability. If everyone did that, you would no longer invest in that character as much. You really want to believe that the villain is a villain. You really want to believe that your co-star’s character is true as well. Deadpool can undermine that—and does undermine that—because you don’t want the audience to take him as seriously.”

Deadpool & Wolverine Only Works if Jackman Doesn’t Break the Fourth Wall

In the joint interview, which included director Shawn Levy and Jackman, the trio shared many thoughts on the first R-rated movie to hit the MCU. When it comes to Reynolds’ explanation of how the fourth wall works in Deadpool’s world, they are all in agreement that it only has to be Deadpool who can take that world-breaking step. Jackman shared his humorous take on why it has to be just a Deadpool thing, saying:

As for Levy, he believes that there is a certain integrity to be maintained when bringing Wolverine into Deadpool’s world, and having him do the same thing Deadpool does would not be beneficial to the character. He added:

“Hugh’s performance gives the movie a gravitas and a raw, soulful quality that is unbelievable, and I can’t say much more without spoiling it. It’s among the things that differentiate the movie from prior X-Men or Deadpool movies. The duo differentiates it. The fact that Logan is with a comedic engine for the entirety of the movie changes everything.”

What is Deadpool & Wolverine’s Predicted Opening Weekend?

As one of those movies that always seemed to be just out of reach, Deadpool & Wolverine has no legwork to do in order to be a success this summer. It has Reynolds, Jackman, and a whole new world of Disney and Marvel Studios to poke fun at – while telling its own story of course. This means that projections for the movie’s opening weekend are just as big as you would expect in a year when superhero movies are mostly absent from theatrical release schedules.

The film is expected to open somewhere between $200 million and $239 million domestically. If this holds true, then Deadpool & Wolverine will break Deadpool’s previous record to claim the accolade of being the highest grossing R-rated movie in history. With that kind of start, it I almost impossible to believe that the movie will not pass the $1 billion mark during its theatrical run, making history, and potentially becoming the unlikely savior of the MCU.