With Disney’s 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox, a whole new world of characters became available for inclusion in the MCU. Some fans were worried that ‘child-friendly’ Disney would toss Ryan Reynolds’s potty-mouthed anti-hero, Deadpool, aside. However, the Merc with the Mouth has survived, and there’s a promise that he will still be incorporated into the MCU together with other characters previously owned by Fox, namely the X-Men, in the future. And that could finally happen properly in Deadpool 4.
In 2024, Deadpool & Wolverine hauled in a staggering $1.33 billion worldwide, officially becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. Now Ryan Reynolds has confirmed the obvious next step. Speaking at Fanatics Fest 2026, Reynolds told the crowd the follow-up will include “deep cuts” that didn’t make it into the first three films, adding, simply, “It’s going to be great.” An earlier Puck report had already suggested he was developing it behind the scenes, and he’s also rumored, though not yet officially confirmed by Marvel, to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, out December 18.
What Could Deadpool 4 Be About?
With Deadpool now a fixture of the MCU three films deep, speculation has shifted to what a fourth outing could look like. One crazy idea is to use the Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe storyline from the comics. In it, Deadpool, a.k.a. Wade Wilson, is sent to a mental asylum by Professor Xavier for treatment. In the end, the treatment only drives Wilson more insane and results in Deadpool killing every major Marvel hero and villain. While it seems implausible to use the story – there is no way will we see Deadpool kill off any major MCU hero, like Hulk or Black Panther, for example – it could, however, serve to introduce the X-Men and others. Deadpool could be used to kill off all the remaining Fox Marvel characters.
Deadpool & Wolverine started this, with the character parading a multiverse of Fox-era variants. Wade slaughtering his way through Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier, Channing Tatum’s Gambit, etc. (if they survive Avengers: Doomsday) could be the perfect way for Marvel to wipe the slate clean and reboot both the franchises and have a new cast for each.
We know that Jackman’s Wolverine survived Deadpool & Wolverine, but his involvement in Avengers: Doomsday remains unconfirmed despite persistent fan speculation. But Deadpool & Wolverine did kill off several Fox-era variants for laughs and closure. Marvel could certainly continue that story in Deadpool 4.
The good news is that Deadpool & Wolverine kept its R-rating and became the highest-grossing R-rated film ever made, which all but guarantees Deadpool 4 stays red-band too. So, nobody needs to worry about there suddenly being a PG version of the character down the line.
Was Deadpool Always Going to Turn Villain?
With the announcement of Deadpool 4, fans are getting increasingly excited, and some have taken to different social media sites to voice their thoughts on what might happen in the film. One Reddit user, in particular, believed that because of the path the previous three movies had taken, the logical next step would be Deadpool becoming a villain in his own film.
A couple of years ago, a Redditor discussed his theories for Deadpool 3 and what they thought would happen in the 2024 Marvel film: “I believe that the main antagonist of Deadpool 3 is going to be Deadpool. I think this because it would fir three different patterns that seem on-brand for the series so far: the thematic arc, the real world meta-narrative arc, and the ‘in comics’ meta-narrative arc.” They went on to explain that the first movie had followed the narrative of a love story, and the second had been about starting a family, so it would only make sense if the third movie were about empty nesting.
They also reminded fans that Juggernaut had ripped Deadpool in half in Deadpool 2. His team recovers his top half and takes him home to regrow, but we don’t see what happens to his bottom half. “I think the bottom half also recovered, giving us Evil Deadpool. I think Emma Corrin is going to play some [version] of Allison Kemp who has been gathering the various parts of Deadpool that get scattered across battlefields in the last few movies, and she has let them grow together into a sort of Frankenstein monster. And I think ultimate that is the enemy that Deadpool and Wolverine are trying to put a stop to: their own legacies that they left behind.”
They finished by saying, “Plus, if Evil Deadpool grew from the bottom half of Deadpool, there will absolutely be a joke about how he left his behind behind.”
This didn’t pan out. Emma Corrin ended up playing Cassandra Nova, the film’s actual central villain, not an Evil Deadpool/Allison Kemp hybrid. But it could be the perfect setup for Deadpool 4.
Deadpool vs. Kingpin? The Rivalry Fans Still Want
Until all the multiversal chaos of the MCU settles down (and maybe even after), we’ll probably still see Reynolds’ Deadpool stick his head into the universe now and then, even if it is just to microwave his lunch while other heroes are arguing. Just imagine it: Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool vs Vincent Philip D’Onofrio’s Kingpin in an MCU movie. In the world of Marvel’s heroes and villains, some rivalries have become just as epic as the characters they involve. Captain America vs the Red Skull or Wolverine vs Hulk have given us some of the most iconic chapters in comic book history. Some of these feuds have been adapted to live-action and brought to the ever-expanding world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where they’ve been enjoyed by a massive new generation of fans the world over.
As out of left field as it sounds, Deadpool vs Kingpin have already crossed paths in the comics before. A few years ago, the duo starred in an unlikely love triangle when Deadpool fell deeply in love with the Kingpin’s new love interest, Typhoid Mary. Considering Deadpool’s morally grey nature, it wouldn’t take more than a contract to make a believable Deadpool vs Kingpin story happen – especially since he’s become a central MCU villain since he was reintroduced in the Hawkeye finale.
Let’s be honest here: Deadpool is barely a good guy. Marvel’s iconic Merc with a Mouth has always been controversial — despite being one of the comic book fans’ favourites for quite a while, even before movie star Ryan Reynolds gave life to the character on the big screen. When someone is as infuriating and as impertinent as Deadpool is, they’re sure to make a few enemies along the way. Wade Wilson has made some very dangerous foes throughout his publication history, but let’s take a look at which of them we’d like to see in Deadpool 4.
Villains We Want to See Wade Face in Deadpool 4
Id, The Selfish Moon
Remember Ego, the Living Planet from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? Well, his shadow inadvertently gave life to his planet’s moon, turning it into Id. Drove mad by solitude, Id was on a path of destruction, blowing up planets until Deadpool put a stop to his nonsense.
The MCU’s Phase Four is all about exploration of the unknown, and having Deadpool meet the Guardians of the Galaxy for his first MCU movie would be a bigger crossover event than Avengers: Endgame.
Mister Sinister
If there’s one thing that we all want in the MCU, that would be Mutants. The X-Men were long conspicuously absent from Marvel’s plans, but Deadpool’s arrival in the MCU helped change that — and the X-Men are now confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday this December, which makes this the ideal moment to bring in Mister Sinister too.
Mister Sinister has been a villain to both the X-Men and Deadpool, and is one of the team’s most iconic villains alongside Magneto. He’s even the main villain of the Deadpool videogame, so you know that these two characters have a story together.
Taskmaster
Although the character is already part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and made his debut in the MCU during the events of Black Widow, the version of Taskmaster that we got in that movie is nowhere near as cool as the real Taskmaster is in the comics. His photographic reflexes and the ability to mimic any fighter he faces have turned him into one of the most iconic Marvel villains of all time, and I think it’s time to give him another chance by fighting Deadpool.
The two characters have a complicated history in the comics. Although Taskmaster can copy the moves of any hero perfectly, Deadpool is so unpredictable that he is immune to Taskmaster’s powers. This would be the perfect villain for the next installment.
There’s just one snag: Taskmaster is dead. Antonia Dreykov was shot and incinerated in Thunderbolts* (2025), seemingly closing the book on this version of the character for good. But does anyone in Marvel really stay dead?
T-Ray
Sorcerer, warrior, and dark arts practitioner, T-Ray is the closest Deadpool has ever had to a real archnemesis. Supposedly, T-Ray is the real Wade Wilson, and he was betrayed when Deadpool was young, resulting in the death of his beloved wife.
T-Ray has so many powers that it would take us a while to list them on, so suffice to say that he’s the closest anyone has come to killing Deadpool for good. He’s also been involved in some stories about Doctor Strange, so he’d fit perfectly with the current Marvel movies.
The Bottom Line: Deadpool 4 Is Just Getting Started
Whatever shape it ends up taking, one thing is clear: Marvel isn’t done with Wade Wilson. Between a $1.33 billion predecessor, a confirmed R-rating, and Reynolds’ own “deep cuts” tease, Deadpool remains one of the MCU’s most reliable bets. Whether that means finally squaring off against Kingpin, digging Taskmaster up from the grave, unleashing Mister Sinister alongside a returning X-Men roster, or turning Wade into his own worst enemy, Deadpool 4 has no shortage of directions to take. No director, cast, or release date has been confirmed yet — but if Reynolds’ own hype is anything to go by, it’s going to be great.
