Ryan Reynolds may have introduced Disney to the magical wonders of R-rated films. He may have brought Hugh Jackman back from the dead. And he may or may not have leaked the test footage that kickstarted the Deadpool vehicle into motion. But even the near-almighty Reynolds doesn’t have what it takes to end the ongoing strike initiated by the Writers’ Guild of America.
And while the two may not be correlated under any other circumstances, it is imperative (and selfish) to wish for a swift resolution to the strike as the long-awaited Deadpool 3 begins filming with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman at the helm.
Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool 3 Suffers a Blow Amid WGA Strike
The much-anticipated Deadpool 3 marks the debut of the mutant universe into mainstream MCU, and with it, witnesses the reunion of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Logan/Wolverine. However, the brimming electric energy and the barely concealed excitement at the prospect of Deadpool’s return with his frenemy in tow has suffered a major blow as Disney makes the call for Deadpool 3 to begin filming as per schedule in order for it to be completed before the slated 2024 premiere.
The problem that lies at the core of the matter is this: the Deadpool IP is inherently tied to the identity of Ryan Reynolds and without the aid of his witty quips delivered on the fly while filming, the character (and the films) wouldn’t have been as successful. With the writers’ strike now looming darkly in the background, the conditions laid down by the Guild are simple: Reynolds cannot add new lines to the script or improvise a scene endlessly while filming (as is a well-known trait of the actor) as long as the strike remains active.
The strike forbids any additional work to be done on any script under development or in production as long as the WGA is not able to reach a fruitful resolution and without Ryan Reynolds operating at full capacity, one can expect a toned-down film at the other end of the tunnel as the script needs to be followed to a T. The only hope now rests in the fact that Reynolds himself served as a writer on Deadpool 3 and with ample source material, the film might just pull through and deliver as per the expectations of the audience.
The WGA strike, which now witnesses the biggest exodus of writers out of their writers’ rooms coincides directly with the second union of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on the big screen. The first WGA strike which took place in 2007-08 also coincided with the filming of Reynolds and Jackman’s first outing as Deadpool and Wolverine in X-Men Origins. That film now holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Understanding the Strike: Reason Behind the WGA Protests
The WGA strike launched out of necessity on May 2, 2023, aims at reaching several goals that would ensure more funding, pension and health care benefits for every writer employed by the Guild, job security, and a limiting of the use of artificial intelligence in the writers’ room. As long as the strike remains ongoing unless the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers can reach a satisfactory and reasonable agreement, all writers employed by the Guild and working for the studios in Hollywood are required to suspend their activities.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter on April 27 (in case negotiations failed by May 1 and the strike went through): The Writers Guild stated that: “Writers cannot do any writing, revising, pitching, or discussing future projects with companies that are members of the AMPTP.”
The strike consequently affects all projects in active development, including the scheduled projects waiting in queue to take off at major studio houses such as Marvel and Disney.
Deadpool 3 is slated to release on 8 November 2024.
Source: Collider
