In a recent interview by comicbook.com, Deadpool 2 star Ryan Reynolds says that he is uncertain of the status of Deadpool 3. The original Deadpool film was a surprise commercial and critical success in 2016 and industry experts predict an initial weekend box office haul of over $150 million for the sequel when it opens on May 18. Despite everything that the film has going for it, Reynolds’ uncertainty over a third outing as the Merc with a Mouth lies in the over-the-top nature of the character. To justify a third film in the franchise, Reynolds feels that they absolutely must have a unique storyline that couldn’t be done with any other character. Despite uncertainty over Deadpool 3, Reynolds expressed enthusiasm for joining the proposed X-Force film, saying, “I do see him as being a part of X-Force, obviously. I would love to see him in a team-up sort of thing.” Additionally, Reynolds joked that the silly nature of the Deadpool character could allow him to show up in any kind of film, even a low-budget indie movie.

Another potential roadblock in seeing Deadpool 3 is the acquisition of Fox Studios by Disney. While Kevin Feige, chief producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has yet to reveal any plans for Deadpool and other characters the company will acquire in the deal, the studio may opt to reboot the character entirely. In this case, Reynolds’ version of Deadpool may not appear in any further films. This might also mean an end to other versions of characters developed by Fox. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Simon Kinberg, chief developer of Fox’s Marvel properties, revealed the status of all the studio’s comic book films. In addition to Deadpool 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants have finished production. Dark Phoenix is slated to open on February 14, 2019 and New Mutants follows later that August. Along with X-Force, Kinberg also revealed a Gambit film was in pre-production, as well as a secret entry in the series rumored to be centered on the mutant Kitty Pryde.