There are few crossovers we’ve been waiting for more intently than Deadpool & Wolverine. The characters, which have a long history together in print, have the kind of explosive chemistry that threatens to blow the roof off: a lightning that director Shawn Levy was keen to bottle in the highly anticipated movie.
The movie, which will be in cinemas on the 25th of July, brings the two anti-heroes together in an R-Rated romp which follows on from the kind of pace and humour we’ve seen in the past two Deadpool films: a kind of irreverent, psychotic action that Ryan Reynolds was essentially born to deliver. Teaming Deadpool up with an ageing and aggressive Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman, obviously) is a stroke of genius, and, if the trailers are anything to go by, will lead to a breath of fresh air in an otherwise saturated superhero genre.
Levy told Man of Many that the movie was as fun to make as you would expect.
“There were a lot of laughs, but it was also like, we know the opportunity we have here… to finally do a movie with these two iconic characters together,” he said. “So while there was a lot of fun and laughter every day, there was also a real focus on, okay, let’s really do our jobs at a level that is beyond what we thought possible.”
Levy has worked with Reynolds twice before, directing Free Guy (2021) and The Adam Project (2022), and said that the co-owner of Wrexham A.F.C is a joy to work with not just because he’s hilarious, but because he is one of the hardest workers on set.
“The truth is that I love working really hard, and I’ve spent a lot of time in my life leading teams where they might be talented, but no one wants to work quite as brutally relentlessly as I like to,” Levy said. “But Ryan is right there (with me).”
During our interview with Levy ahead of the film’s release, he spoke openly about some of his favourite moments during the production of the movie, and the warm centre we can expect to find at the centre of a swear-filled murderfest.
Man of Many: First of all, congratulations on the film. What was it like working with Ryan and Hugh? Was it as unhinged as you expected it to be?
Shawn Levy: It was super fun. There were a lot of laughs, but it was also… we know the opportunity that we have here. The opportunity to finally do a movie with these two iconic characters together. We really wanted to create a film built for maximum audience entertainment, and so while there was a lot of fun and laughter everyday, there was also a real focus on okay, let’s really do our jobs at a level that is beyond what we thought possible.
We pushed each other, and when a scene was great, we explored how it could be greater. It was both the most fun I’ve had making a movie, but it was also the most gratifying as well.
MoM: Was there a specific moment, or memory, during production that will stay with you?
Shawn Levy: There were a bunch, but one that will be hard to top was the first day that Hugh stepped out onto the set in the yellow suit, and Ryan in the new Deadpool suit.
These are my friends, they’re literally two of my best friends in the world, and I’ve spent so much time with them in my life, but seeing the two of them in those iconic superhero suits in real life: me and frankly 200 other people on set were just like, “oh my god, that’s Wolverine and Deadpool”. There was something magical that happened then, and I’ll never forget that feeling.
MoM: This was not the first time you’ve worked with Ryan, you’ve worked with him several times before: what is it about him that keeps you working together?
Shawn Levy: For starters, he’s just an authentic, nice human, and he’s also relentlessly hardworking.
The truth is that I love working really hard, and I’ve spent a lot of time in my life leading teams where they might be talented, but no one wants to work quite as brutally relentlessly as I like to, but Ryan is right there. I’ll be sprinting up the mountain every day, and he’s right there.
From the moment that he asked me to do this with him, to a year of working on the script (together), and the last year of shooting and editing and sound design, it’s really been this creative brotherhood: not only as a bond through work ethic, but we’re at a stage in our careers and our lives where we want to build movies for audience joy, and hopefully we’ve done that for a third time here with Deadpool & Wolverine.
MoM: Is there a particular project or genre that you’d want to work on next?
Shawn Levy: You know, I’ve spent so much of my career facing goals in the back of my mind. (Making this movie) has made things more complicated, because I don’t know what is cooler or more exciting than getting to direct Deadpool & Wolverine. So, at this point I’m enjoying this moment, I literally finished the movie a day ago. I’m thrilled that the world seems to be waiting with such anticipation, and as far as what’s next, I’m only going to say yes to things that I can’t resist.
MoM: Last question: I love how in every Deadpool movie, I never know what to expect. From your perspective, what can audiences expect from Deadpool & Wolverine?
Shawn Levy: Well, they can expect the audacious humour that we all want out of a Deadpool movie. They can expect some action sequences unlike any they’ve seen, and a variety of fights and sequences that are constantly defying expectations, and ultimately just a big-screen, big-visual journey that explores the reluctant bond between these two characters who, really, just want to kill each other. That’s a recipe for funny, for conflict, for action, but where it really gets interesting is where that oil-and-water reluctant friendship becomes (a real) friendship, and there’s a warmth to the movie that I think people won’t be expecting, but that they’re very much going to enjoy.
Deadpool & Wolverine hits cinemas in Australia on July 25th. Watch our full interview with Levy below.
