Looks like the Merc With a Mouth hasn’t succumbed to the dreaded sophomore slump, after all.
In light of reports that Deadpool 2 was struggling to leave much of an impression on its test audiences – some rumors even went so far as to suggest that the Powers That Be over at 20th Century Fox were “shocked” by the early response – the folks over at Marvel Studios News have now weighed in to set the record straight, all the while warning fans of one particularly contentious scene that may rub some up the wrong way.
First up, MSN pointed to a tweet from Collider‘s Steven Weintraub that essentially debunks any rumblings of Deadpool 2 “testing poorly.” In fact, if Weintraub is to be believed, the 2018 sequel is performing just fine among test screenings, and anyone he’s spoken to personally has vouched for the quality of David Leitch’s follow-up.
This all started when a number of people violated the terms of their NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) and began posting sensitive information online. A similarly mistimed blowout occurred last month, too, when comic book fans began poring over the first reactions to Aquaman. But there was one difference, Arthur Curry’s solo movie had seemingly performed well.
Alas, it seems any online factoid relating to Deadpool 2 ought to be treated with a heightened sense of caution:
Have seen a completely untrue report of 'Deadpool 2' testing poorly. From what I heard the first 2 test screenings both scored over 90 with the second one scoring close to the top mark. I've also spoken to people that saw it. Everyone said it's excellent. Fans will love. pic.twitter.com/2WfL63aya9
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) March 12, 2018
Circling back to Marvel Studios News, the outlet also claims to have unearthed a plot tidbit that will prove divisive among Deadpool fans. Don’t worry, no spoilers here; we’ve simply included an extract that compares said scene to the “Mandarin twist” from Shane Black’s Iron Man 3.
I have heard about something that happens in Deadpool 2, which I thought sounded rather brilliant, that may bother some fans. It didn’t bother anyone I’ve heard from, but perhaps it irked the fans who reacted negatively at the most recent screening. I’m not going to say what it is because it’s pure spoiler, and a big one at that. I would never want to rob anyone of the chance of experiencing it in the theater without any idea of what was coming.
Either way, the R-rated Deadpool 2 will be with us on May 18th, and it’ll seemingly be “very different” from the first.