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As fans prepare themselves for Deadpool and Wolverine being released this weekend, giving Marvel Studios its first R-rated feature, it’s still unclear how Deadpool and his ancillary characters will fold into the MCU proper. One thing that is abundantly clear, is despite the jokes about cocaine use, Deadpool/Wade Wilson probably won’t be partaking in his beloved drug of choice anytime soon.
Shawn Levy and Kevin Feige spoke to GameSpot during the film’s press junket, giving insight into their thoughts on the state of the MCU, but also how Feige was serious about no more cocaine use. However, the film could keep the series’ trademark level of violence and intense language.
“We’re not kidding around. There was only one ground rule ever requested,” said director Levy, who has become a constant collaborator with Ryan Reynolds. “And it was early on. And it was, honestly, Kevin was like, ‘Guys, it’s all on the table as long as it’s funny, but maybe we don’t have Wade and Blind Al doing cocaine.'”
With that door closed, Levy and Reynolds opened a window. “So literally, that led to one of the first jokes we ever wrote in this movie. And, of course, it was a reminder that no one and nothing is safe in a Deadpool movie,” Levy continued. “And I think, you know, we’re counting on the fact that people want the audacity that defines the Deadpool franchise.”
Kevin Feige, Disney’s chief creative officer, admits that it wasn’t Disney or Marvel’s call to cancel the coke party, it was him.
“I think in early conversations, Ryan was very specific about wanting to make a story that had just as much, if not more, emotional heart than the other Deadpool films. And I really think he wanted to push the emotion and the authenticity of that emotion in this movie, which he did,” Feige explained. “And maybe, who knows [because] people talk about this so much in the press now, but I remember sitting around [and] he was asking, ‘Well, is there anything, you know, should we tone down the blood or the F-words or is there any anything else?’ And I said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘You know we’ve already gotten the go-ahead to make it [rated] R, it should be [rated] R. And I think maybe, even in passing, I was like, ‘The cocaine jokes might be a little stale.”
Feige noted that the note clearly resonated with Reynolds, who then set out to write the script. “This is not a 1970s Chevy Chase comedy. Maybe that’s a little dated,'” he suggested. “And that goes into Ryan’s brain as fodder for Deadpool. And when I’m reading the script, it was very funny.”
Both Deadpool movies upon release were the highest R-rated features at their time, and with projections for Deadpool and Wolverine, it could be another record on the way.
