Wade Wilson. Weapon XI. The Merc With a Mouth. Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Deadpool has become one of the most popular comic book characters on newsstands today. With the character's first appearance coming up on twenty-five years (first appeared in New Mutants #98 in 1990; yes, it was that long ago), Deadpool has seen a recent explosion into mainstream.
Five years ago, few people would have been able to explain who Deadpool was. Oh sure, Daniel Way's run with the character (which began in 2008) was a good seller, but he had been largly a cult character prior to that, appearing first as a villain in several mini-series and guest appearances before getting a somewhat popular self-titled series in the late-nineties, which turned him into full blown anti-hero. That series ended in '02, and Deadpool was again relegated to sidekick status for Cable for a few years before finally retuning at the hands of Daniel Way in 2008, first for a five-issue arc of "Wolverine: Origins," before getting his own new series later that year.
But it wasn't until 2010 that Deadpool exploded in popularity. In addition to his own series, Deadpool was appearing in numerous spin-off comics, video games, television series, and had already been played by Ryan Reynolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine a movie starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. And his populaity didn't wane when Way concluded his run on Deadpool with issue #63. Instead, the character seems to be more popular than ever, especially after High Moon Studios released Deadpool: The Video Game in 2013. Comics starring him consistently sell out and often see multiple printings! While he's not on the same level as Iron Man or Hulk, Deadpool has gone from cult-favorite to superstar! So why doesn't he have his own movie yet?
Well, that's not to say that it isn't being attempted. Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote the original screenplay for the film. After no movement on the project for so long, their script was "leaked" (I personally think they did it themselves as a PR stunt, but I digress) to overewhelmingly positive reviews. Ryan Reynolds remained attatched to star in the film, and Tim Miller was chosen to direct. And then... silence. People have popped up over the years like the gopher from Caddyshack to inform us the film was still on, but would be a ways off. However, no matter who did the talking, a constant factor for the holdup seemed to be this: the R-rating. Reese and Wernick's screenplay (the leaked draft; last word was they had revised it to fit Fox's new X-Men continuity, but it's unclear if they're still onboard), while insanely funny in the spirit of the character, was incredibly violent and foul, featuring over-the-top, almost comical action, sex and language so foul that they would make sailors blush, and a whole bunch of gore piled on top. Yeah, really R-rated stuff.
Of course, R-rated films can have a huge draw. The Hangover trilogy shattered box-office records for R-rated comedies, and the American Pie films proudly boasted the highest box-office for teen comedies at the turn of the millenium. But for a movie based on a comic book property, especially one who, despite his increased popularity among comic fans, is still an unknown entity among the mainstream, an R-rated action film based on Deadpool would be a huge risk for Fox; he's not a guaranteed audience draw like established characters such as Spider-Man or Wolverine, and no studio wants to spend $90 million on a character they aren't sure they can see a return on.
But with a PG-13, that opens them up to a larger, more marketable audience, and thus, larger returns at the box-office. And there is the rub: many believe that the trade-off for a PG-13 Deadpool cheapens the impact of the character, who simply has to have an R-rated film. But does he really have to have an R-rated film?
Now, before you grab your pitchforks and ropes and hang me from the nearest (rhymes with "digger") tree, let me explain. The same was once said (and can still be argued) for PG-13 horror films. With the PG-13, you can't have all the gore and violence you have with the majority of horror films, so you rely more on suspense and character building as opposed to a bloodbath. Many appreciate the slow tease of the horror, as opposed to a quick and bloody decapitation. For example, the underrated 2001 film The Others relies heavily on building suspense and using horriffic imagery to get underneath your skin and stay there. Other films, such as The Ring and Mama use similar techniques. So perhaps a PG-13 Deadpool film can work as well, if done correctly.
For starters, let's look at the foul language. Deadpool is called the Merc With a Mouth for a reason, but does he have to make you wonder if he kisses his mother with it? In a recent appearance on Disney XD's Ultimate Spider-Man, Deadpool appears more family-friendly, but he still manages to crack wise with his "booby traps" joke.
Perhaps this juvenile approach to his humor is just what the doctor ordered. By all means, have him cuss from time-to-time; name one superhero movie in the last thirty years that hasn't used at least one instance of sailor-talk! But replacing some of the fouler words like "f*ck" with off-the-wall phrases like "poopy-trim" (or even dubbing them over with odd, yet appropriate, sound-effects) might be a good way to showcase Deadpool's foul-mouthed nature to an audience who would be grounded for life if they used those words in front of their parents.
As for the violence, it could be done in such a way as to be PG-13 friendly, yet not pander to that audience and still be over-the-top insane. Picture Boondock Saints meets Three Stooges and you'll see what I mean. Example: towards the beginning of the screenplay, there is a bit where Deadpool fights a bunch of villains in the back of an Escalade. This sequence comes off as very Loony Tunes-esque, and the sequence even makes reference to Taz, the Tasmanian Devil.
Now this is just my thoughts on it if they absolutely have to go the PG-13 route. I personally am an advocate of a little thing called "creative control." If this film ever gets made, I want the people making it to have free reign to make whatever type of film they want with whatever budget and time frame they are given, regardless if the result winds up being PG-13 or R. I want them to make the best Deadpool film that they possible can, and would thoroughly enjoy watching Deadpool in all his gory, uh, glory.
Which is why I'm glad that the studio is taking their time with it and weighing their options on the film instead of rushing it to capitalize on a hot comodity. But if they take too long with it, I may be dead and buried before this film gets made. However, I said the same thing about a new Power Rangers film once upon a time...
What are your thoughts? Would you rather see an R-rated Deadpool, or would a movie that pushes the boundries of PG-13 still be a good one?