Ryan Reynolds recently announced that he was taking a break from acting, and he’s not expected to get back to work on whatever his next project ends up being until at least the summer of 2022. That’s bad news for fans who were hoping the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Deadpool 3 would be in front of cameras by then, but it’s been a slow road back to the big screen for the Merc with a Mouth.
It’s been two years since Reynolds first discussed the third installment with Marvel Studios, and twelve months since the Molyneux sisters were announced to be tackling the script. While Wade Wilson did make his official MCU debut in an incredibly smart and self-aware Free Guy trailer reaction video, that isn’t enough to satiate the fanbase.
However, when interviewed by Variety at the premiere of Netflix’s action epic Red Notice, Reynolds did tease that some Deadpool 3 news might be coming soon, although he reiterated that he’s not looking to jump into anything for a while.
“Plugging away. Can’t really comment on that, but hopefully soon though. To be honest, my kids are growing up and they’re growing up faster than any doctor would have predicted. And I don’t want to miss it. That’s more important to me than any movies or anything else right now.”
Kevin Feige revealed previously that he has a release window in mind, but it’s unclear if he was aware of the leading man’s planned sabbatical when he made those comments. Either way, late 2023 is probably the most generous timeframe to expect Deadpool 3, although it’ll almost certainly be later than that.