Deadpool and Wolverine director hopes Ryan Reynolds' hero will live up to his "Marvel Jesus" nickname and save the MCU

EntertainmentMoviesAction MoviesMarvel MoviesDeadpool 3Deadpool and Wolverine director hopes Ryan Reynolds' hero will live up to his “Marvel Jesus” nickname and save the MCUWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentMoviesAction MoviesMarvel MoviesDeadpool 3Deadpool and Wolverine director hopes Ryan Reynolds' hero will live up to his “Marvel Jesus” nickname and save the MCUWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Total Film/Marvel Studios/Disney) “We had no idea it would be this unique moment where people are asking what the MCU means any more,” he tellsTotal Film in our new issue, which is out on Thursday, June 20 and features Deadpool & Wolverine on the cover. “Can it surprise us? Can it break molds in ways that we don’t expect? We certainly hope that this movie is an answer to those questions.” “What Kevin Feige has built with the MCU is historic as far as a string of successes, but culture has its tide chart, culture has ebbs and flows, and one thing we do know is you can’t keep doing the same thing ad nauseum and expect people to greet it with the same excitement,” Levy explains. “And so it just worked out really fortuitously because our movie is not like any MCU movie. Yeah, and I say that as a fan of a lot of MCU movies.” (Image credit: Marvel Studios) A follow-up clip, which was initially shown behind closed doors at CinemaCon 2024, reportedly saw Paradox asking Deadpool to save the Sacred Timeline,confusing Loki fansbut catching our attention all the same. Others have near enough confirmed that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will be a variant from an alternate reality –one where he failed to save his fellow X-Men from extinction. SinceAvengers: Endgameracked up $2.79 billion at the global box office, MCU titles have struggled to even come close to the gargantuan figure.Spider-Man: No Way Homeearned $1.9 billion, but its follow-ups have been less than impressive.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessandThor: Love and Thunderpulled in $955 million and $760.9 million, respectively, whileBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverbagged $859 million andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3pocketed $845 million. Which sounds like a lot, until you consider these movie’s enormous budgets… Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox Might Deadpool 3 get audiences excited about comic book fare again? Either way, Levy thinks the MCU will live on in some capacity. “I would love to take credit for those parallels,” he says. “Some we absolutely intend, but some are coincidences, and we came up with ‘Marvel Jesus’ two years ago. People love to get on bandwagons whether they’re positive, but frankly even more when they’re negative.” Deadpool & Wolverine lands in UK cinemas on July 25 and in the US a day later. You can read more about it, and a whole lot else besides, in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, June 20. Check out the covers below: (Image credit: Total Film/Marvel Studios/Disney) Pre-order the issue hereto bag your copy orclick here to subscribe to Total Filmand never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it’s in stores, and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers. 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tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So 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review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”