Why Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine almost had a different title

If you look back at the coverage of “Deadpool & Wolverine” from about a year ago, you won't see the X-Men name in the title of the most famous cast. How recently, in December 2023/Films and other markets simply called the future the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time “Deadpool 3.” Why? According to an interview, Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy recently did with IndieWireit all boils down to some complicated legal aspects involving the characters involved, Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (Reynolds) and James Howlett aka Logan aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).

“For some reason, we weren't allowed to use the word Wolverine in the title,” actor, collaborator and producer Reynolds told Indiewire, noting that he pitched studio head Kevin Feige “a dozen, maybe 16” with Deadpool. movies before settling on the idea they ended up with. Reynolds says he wasn't sure why the odd couple wasn't allowed to share the billing at first. “I have no idea why, some weird loophole, but at the last minute we changed it to 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and they kind of squeezed it out.”

Shawn Levy, the director of “Stranger Things,” who created “Deadpool & Wolverine” and is listed as a writer and producer, says that the talks about details like these involved “a deal,” possibly related to Disney's 20th Century purchase. Fox properties, including Fox-owned Marvel characters like Deadpool and Wolverine. “A lot of things started with 'no,'” Levy explained. “Not because they micromanaged, but because the lawyers in the hallway said, 'That's not part of the deal.'

Levy describes Reynolds and himself as “hopefully respectful hammers” trying to figure out the things they most wanted for the film. “If we felt that something was suitable for this story, if it became a necessity, then we were a little relentless,” admits the director. Reynolds says that “a lot of times” decisions like choosing a title are about “resilience.” He also notes that the duo were originally told they couldn't use the Blade or Gambit characters, even though both end up appearing in the final film (played by Wesley Snipes and Channing Tatum, respectively). The pair were smart to break away from those constraints, because the feeling of something succeeding within a carefully planned, corporate franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe is what makes Deadpool & Wolverine so surprising and memorable.

As for the name, Reynolds says he initially pitched several rejected ideas. One was a movie called “Deadpool is Hunting” where “the hunter who shot Bambi's mom finds (Deadpool) and they fall in love, become like Butch and Sundance.” Another idea was a road trip film with venerable actress Margo Martindale, shot in the style of a Sundance indie film, the title of which Reynolds did not mention in the interview.

“The title was 'Deadpool 3' for a long time, then it was 'Deadpool and Friend,'” Levy says. Finally, the movie was almost called “Deadpool vs. Wolverine,” but Levy says the writers realized “late in the process” that Wade and Logan weren't actually going to be enemies in the movie. “The arc of the script is that they're pitted against each other until the end and, frankly, the audience is gratified to be brought together,” notes Levy. “So it's an 'against' that turns into an 'and'.”

Thus, “Deadpool & Wolverine” was born. The filmmaking duo won this battle, even if they lost the mickey mouse fellatio joke war.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is now streaming on Disney+.