Deadpool Finally Confirmed for 2016 Release

I don’t know how or when it happened, but Deadpool has been one of the most popular Marvel characters at every comic book convention I’ve been to over the past five years (and perhaps even longer). Given the post-modern, metafictional nature of the character, his sleek and modern character design, and all-around hysterical characterization, I can understand why there are no less than ten amazing Deadpool cosplayers whenever I venture out to enjoy my fandom. The best Deadpool cosplayers are the ones that combine him with other characters/properties, which may seem weird to non-fans, but definitely fits within the nature of the character.

I say all this because, following his appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a spin-off film starring Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool was supposed to come out shortly after that film was released. Unfortunately, it was a hodgepodge of everything terrible with comic book films, and that kind of derailed the entire X-Men film franchise until 2011’s X-Men: First Class righted the ship. Nevertheless, a Ryan Reynolds-led Deadpool film faced its own problems, namely the fact that a successful Deadpool film would have to be rated R, something most comic book films would never aspire towards due to the guaranteed loss in box office returns when compared to a PG-13 film.

Hopefully, Fox has figured out exactly what to do as they announced yesterday that the Deadpool spin-off has officially been greenlit with a 2016 release date targeted. Tim Miller, who has been working on the project since 2009, is still officially on board as director, but there’s no word on whether Reynolds is still on board. However, as he has been championing the film for years, it’s only a matter of time and scheduling before his casting is official, as well. The film’s announcement comes a few months after a CGI test scene was leaked showcasing what a Deadpool film would tonally be like. You can see that below.

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[via /Film]