Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy expresses concern over release date

Deadpool 3 is one of the most highly anticipated MCU projects in the near future, mainly because of the return of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and the integration of Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The highly anticipated film initially got a revised release date, bringing its release much closer. It is currently slated to premiere on May 3, 2024.

However, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike may also impact the release date of Deadpool 3, which is reportedly still under production. It also faced an issue because of the Writers' Strike earlier, when Ryan Reynolds was not allowed to improvise his lines in the film, adhering to the WGA strike guidelines.

Speaking to The Wrap in a recent interview, Shawn Levy, who directs the film, admitted that he wasn't sure if they could hit the schedule with the current condition. When asked about the same, Levy replied, "I wish I knew."

If the SAG-AFTRA strike takes much longer to resolve, Deadpool 3, along with other planned films, may face another round of delays.

---

"We’ve shot half the movie. I’ve edited half the movie"- Shawn Levy on Deadpool 3

The SAG-AFTRA strike is yet to be resolved, with no proper solution in sight right now. While the WGA strike was finally resolved weeks ago, the same is yet to happen with the actors' strike, with multiple reported breakdowns in the deals.

Director Shawn Levy recently told The Wrap that he’s not sure if the film will be released as per the planned release date, given the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The strike began on July 14, 2023.

Sharing his concern over Deadpool 3's release date and the urge to go back to work, he said:

“I wish I knew. I don’t even know if we officially have [a release date]. I know we were gonna be May 3. Certainly, the actors’ strike and the long pause in production have put that release date in true risk. We’ve shot half the movie. I’ve edited half the movie. We’re dying to get back to work and get this movie out next year.”

So, while the date of release seems unchanged, it may be a difficult target to maintain the quality of Deadpool films and still hit the target of completing and marketing the film before May 2024.

---

More about Deadpool 3

Coming from the same universe as the original two Deadpool films, Deadpool 3 will also be the 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and a sequel to both the 2016 and 2018 films.

It will bring back Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool, which has been a hugely successful endeavor up to now, alongside Hugh Jackman, Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand, and Jennifer Garner.

The film will also possibly link some references to the older X-Men films, much like the previous two parts have already done.

The film is set to premiere on May 3, 2023, as a part of the fifth phase of the MCU.