The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, thanks to projects that are released in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latest movie to arrive is Deadpool & Wolverine, which broke records at the box office. The blockbuster included a number of references to Marvel head Kevin Feige, although there’s one Deadpool 3 rumor he insists never happened. Let’s break it all down.
During the blockbuster’s runtime, Wade Wilson breaks the fourth wall and jokes that Kevin Feige put the kibosh on doing cocaine with Blind Al. This running gag became one of the best Deadpool jokes in the movie, although the Marvel studio head is disputing the recollection of Shan Levy and Ryan Reynolds. During a conversation with Variety, Feige clarified his feelings about Wade Wilson’s drug use. In his words:
We were open to anything. Maybe I’m slightly prudish when it comes to drug use, but I was like, ‘Eh, it’s not that funny.’
There you have it. This is in stark juxtaposition to the way that Kevin Feige was portrayed throughout the runtime of Deadpool & Wolverine. It sounds like he wasn’t totally opposed to the Merc with a Mouth doing drugs, but it simply needed to be funny enough to warrant it. After all, there movie included a ton of F-bombs, wild violence, and references to pegging. So it’s not like Ryan Reynolds and company had to hold back much.
During Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds’ signature character alleges that Feige insisted that he could not do cocaine during the threequel’s runtime. This becomes a running joke, where Leslie Uggams’ Blind Al names just about every nickname for cocaine that one can think of. It’s a really funny bit, but apparently one that isn’t necessarily based in truth after all.
Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order wondered how exactly an R-rated character like Deadpool could work within the MCU, which is made up of entirely PG-13 projects. The answer was by letting Ryan Reynolds and company stay true to the previous two installments, including meta references and gory action sequences. Although Wade and Al weren’t shown doing cocaine on screen.
Given how wildly successful Deadpool & Wolverine has been in theaters, smart money says that the title characters will become even more important characters in upcoming Marvel movies. The box office success of the threequel is all the more significant considering how many recent MCU flops have arrived in theaters lately, with both Ant-Man 3 and The Marvels failing to make money in theaters.
Deadpool & Wolverine is in theaters now. The next MCU project coming to theaters is Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. In the meantime, check out the 2025 movie release dates.
