Deadpool & Wolverine is very nearly here and, while there's a huge amount of excitement surrounding the threequel's exploration of the Multiverse (think of the cameos!), it's easy to forget that this is also Marvel Studios' first R-Rated movie.
The first trailer made that clear, of course, with jokes about pegging and a mention of Kevin Feige who, apparently, takes issue with drug use.
Asked by Variety whether cocaine was really off-limits, Feige admits that he never issued any such rule. "We were open to anything," the executive started.
"[We] were talking about everybody always being afraid of Disney-fying things. This is the biggest entertainment company in the world for 100 years. You should be so lucky to Disney-fy everything! But what people mean by that is shaving down the rough edges."
"I had said there were some things that we could evolve. After about the 28th time you do a joke, sometimes it’s not as funny," Feige explained. "Maybe I’m slightly prudish when it comes to drug use. But I was like 'Eh, it’s not that funny' in passing. Ryan, of course, stores everything in his brain for later use as excellent jokes. And he added it to the script."
"There’s a line in the red-band trailer - you don’t have to write this in the article, for crying out loud! - about pegging," he added. "I know what pegging is - it’s in the first 'Deadpool' movie. But there were people I work with who didn’t know what it was. I had to explain it to them."
Well, we're betting that in the two decades we've been covering the MCU here on ComicBookMovie.com, you never expected us to share an interview with the Marvel Studios boss talking about pegging!
Elsewhere in the profile, Ryan Reynolds was asked for his take on what it's been like working with Marvel Studios instead of 20th Century Fox, the studio behind Deadpool and Deadpool 2.
"I have the least interesting answer. It’s been so lovely. They’ve been amazing partners. Shawn and I are exhausting them as opposed to the other way around. They allowed us to evolve not just Deadpool, but evolve Wolverine, and I think [the MCU].
"With Marvel, I noticed a pattern, which is like, [we’d say], 'Can we maybe have this thing that we would love to see?' And they’re like, 'Oh, no, absolutely not,'" the actor continued. "Then like a week goes by and we’re like, 'Can we have that thing we mentioned last week?' They’re like, 'We’ll see.' And then a week later we’re like, 'We really need that thing.' And they’re like, 'OK, fine. Have it. We’ll deal with it later.'"
A new IMAX poster for Deadpool & Wolverine has also been released which you can check out below.
Shawn Levy directs Deadpool & Wolverine, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen. The movie is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy.
The trades have confirmed that Jennifer Garner will reprise her role as Elektra, with Wesley Snipes, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Dafne Keen, Channing Tatum, Blake Lively, singer Taylor Swift, and even a Hulk now among those rumoured to make an appearance.
Kevin Feige, Reynolds, Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, Simon Kinberg and Jonathon Komack Martin serving as executive producers.
Deadpool & Wolverine arrives in theaters on July 26.