One of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool 3 pitches had a $5 million budget and no special effects

Before Deadpool 3 became Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds wasn’t short of ideas for his next outing as the Merc with the Mouth. 

In a new interview with EW, he describes one treatment as “a Rashomon story that had these three different points of view,” while another concept is described as more of a “Sundance indie film”. 

“Literally, it was a $5 or $6 million budget with no special effects,” Reynolds told the publication. “It was just a talkie-talkie road trip with me and [Karan Soni’s character] Dopinder and some of the things we collected and saw along the way. It wasn’t meant to be an event movie. If we’re on our way to Point C, it was meant to just get us to Point B. That was the weirdest one. I liked it. I thought it was kind of fun.”

However, the third Deadpool story ended up with a slightly bigger budget and instead will see Reynolds’ Wade Wilson team up with a familiar face: Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. The character may have met his end in 2017’s Logan but, thanks to the magic of the multiverse, he’s back to help Deadpool with a mission from the TVA. The cast also includes Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen as TVA agent Paradox and Emma Corrin as the villainous Cassandra Nova, Charles Xavier’s twin sister. 

Deadpool & Wolverine arrives in UK cinemas on July 25 and US theaters on July 26. While we wait, make sure you’re up to date with the story so far in the MCU with our guide to Marvel Phase 5.