‘Logan’ Director Denies Deadpool Appearance in Film (Update)

James Mangold says Deadpool will not appear in his movie

Deadpool Logan
This is a composite image we made for fun. It is not from the film.

(Updates with “Logan” director James MangoldRyan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman tweeting denials.)

“Logan” director James Mangold took to Twitter on Wednesday to vehemently deny a report by TheWrap that Ryan Reynolds recently shot a scene as Deadpool for the 2017 Wolverine film.

Citing a person close to the project, TheWrap said the scene with Deadpool would most likely appear after the credits. 20th Century Fox declined to comment, but after the publication of the story, Mangold issued an unambiguous denial: “For everyone freaking out, @ is dealing in fake news. Chill.”

He later tweeted: “DEADPOOL IS NOT IN MY FILM. Does all caps help confirm it?”

He was backed by “Logan” star Hugh Jackman and Reynolds. Reynolds responded to a tweet saying Deadpool would appear alongside Wolverine in the film by tweeting: “Sadly, not true. Prisoner 24601 is on a solo mission.”

Prisoner 24601 refers to “Logan” star Hugh Jackman‘s “Les Misérables” character, Jean Valjean. (For the record, TheWrap has not reported that Deadpool and Logan would appear side-by-side.)

Jackman later agreed with Mangold and Reynolds’ denials, tweeting, “What they said ….”

If Deadpool appears in “Logan,” it would actually be Reynolds’ second time playing Deadpool in a Wolverine film. In 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” he played a very different version of the antihero.

In that film, the Merc With a Mouth ends up having no mouth at all — but far more powers than he displayed in this year’s standalone “Deadpool” movie, which reimagined Deadpool as much wittier.

“John Wick” co-director David Leitch was hired to direct “Deadpool 2” and replace director Tim Miller. TheWrap’s insider said he recently directed Reynolds in the new scene.

Leitch is best known for his stunt work, but turned in an impressive directorial debut with the 2014 Keanu Reeves action film, which he co-directed with Chad Stahelski.

Miller, who directed the first “Deadpool,” left the project over creative differences with Reynolds. As TheWrap reported exclusively, Miller and Reynolds differed over the tone of the film.

As previously reported, “Logan” is set in 2024 and follows an older, more weary Wolverine, who now has to take care of a sick Professor X with the help of another mutant, Caliban. Mutant births are in decline for unknown reasons, but Logan and the Professor come across a young girl named Laura who has powers similar to Wolverine’s.

“Logan” also stars Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Boyd Holbrook as Donald Pierce, Stephen Merchant as Caliban and Dafne Keen as Laura Kinney, with Elizabeth Rodriguez, Eriq La Salle and Elise Neal.

“Logan” will be released on March 3, 2017.

Comments