I've been kicking this iead around in my head for a few days. It is going to be a long time before Deadpool makes his way to the silver screen, if he ever makes it there. I was thinking he might transition well to another medium.
Now I'm sure some of you are probably wondering how I could fool myself into thinking this would be a good idea with all the news about Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, but I have thought this over alot.
First off, I have not yet seen Spidey on Broadway so I do not know how good or bad it is. But this is why I think it is having a rough time. Look a the comics and movies. Spidey is very acrobatic character. It is easier and safer to pull this off in a comic because it is a drawing and easier in a movie, because once the action has been filmed, the actors and stunt men do not to do it over again on a daily basis. In a play though, that has frequent performances, theses stunts do need to be done over and over again, putting a huge strain on the actors and stunt men. It is already a great deal of work for the actors keeping their vocals strong and adding in the memorization of complex acratics wears them out more. These acrobatics coould also be dangerous to an audience member too. Even if this show does well, I can not see the original cast lasting long. The strain of this show is going to have the cast constantly changing. Reports also say some of the costume are ridiculous and that the story in it's current state is utter crap.
Deadpool on the other hand I feel would do much better and would be easier to pull off. Deadpool is something of an acrobat himself, but the comic books don't emphasize this as much as they do to Spidey. Deadpool would be more about gun battles, comedy and provide an interesting character study of Wade Wilson. Since acrobatics would not be the main draw, this would also mean that the show would waste less money. I am not suggesting a cheap low rate play and think that sets, costumes, and props should still interesting to look at, but if this play is going to be more character focused, then it would not need a huge chunk of money.
I understand how some people think this is a silly idea. Comic Books characters can be tricky to get right. Have them dance and sing, and it becomes an even tougher sell. For this reason, I would not make Deadpool a straight musical. Maybe a musical number here and there. But there are plenty of shows that are just talkies that do fine. The story would tell Deadpool's origin in the beginning and then would proceed to play like so many Deadpool stories with Deadpool breaking the fourth wall alot and even venturig out into the audience asking them various things or acknowledging them in various ways.
But how easy of sell is Deadpool for the stage? His humor is certainly out there and very random. Some people might even be offended at the show's raunchy nature. Having him break the fourth wall and directly address an audience member might be tricky too. Keep in mind though, other plays have done bizzare things before. In Cats, the cats would venture out into the audience which really made me feel immersed in the story and their world. The Drowsy Shaperone told the tale of a man listening to a record of his favorite play as it came to life around him. This would happen alot in a Deadpool play. As he narrates the story, the events he describes could spring to life a various moments. As for offensive and or crazy humor, well look at Monty Python's Spamelot a strange take on the quest for the Holy Grail or Avenue Q an adult take on Seseme Street.
This play really could work if done right and with enough passion. It may also make waiting for a movie easier since if sucsessful, it would be around for a long time. I hope it happens.