Marvel Reportedly Eyeing DEADPOOL 4 as First Post-AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Movie
Marvel Studios might be gearing up for an unexpected pivot after Avengers: Secret Wars , and it could change what fans thought was coming next.
Instead of launching straight into the long-anticipated X-Men reboot, a new rumor is saying the studio is leaning toward bringing Deadpool 4 to the front of the line, setting the stage for a very different start to the MCU’s next chapter.
According to insider Jeff Sneider on The Hot Mic, Marvel is considering pushing Deadpool 4 into production as soon as Avengers: Secret Wars wraps filming. If that happens, the X-Men reboot would be bumped further down the schedule, despite many fans expecting it to lead the charge into Marvel’s mutant era.
Right now, Marvel has three major release dates locked in for 2028 on May 5, July 28, and December 15. The assumption has been that the X-Men film would take the prime May slot, but this new report paints a different picture.
The current expectation is that the 2028 lineup could end up being Deadpool 4, X-Men, and Black Panther 3, with Deadpool possibly taking the lead.
That shift actually makes a lot of sense when you look at how massive Deadpool & Wolverine was. The film pulled in a huge $1.4 billion worldwide, proving that audiences are more than ready for more of Ryan Reynolds in the role. Marvel would be smart to keep that momentum going, especially as it rebuilds toward its next big saga.
Reynolds has also been very open about wanting Deadpool to stay active across multiple corners of the MCU. He’s reportedly continuing to develop an X-Force-style project that could spin out of the post-Secret Wars landscape, which lines up perfectly with Marvel leaning into more team-driven stories again. Maybe this X-Force project is what Deadpool 4 will be.
More importantly, Reynolds clearly has a strong understanding of why the character works and where he fits in this universe. He explained:
“I think Deadpool works so well appearing with the X-Men and Avengers, but he always needs to stay an outsider. His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted.”
That outsider energy is basically the secret sauce. Deadpool interacting with the Avengers or X-Men is fun, but fully integrating him would change what makes him tick. Reynolds even touched on what would happen if that line gets crossed:
“His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies,” Reynolds noted. “If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey.”
Meanwhile, the X-Men reboot is still taking shape, with writers Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo working on the script. It’s clearly a priority for Marvel, but it isn’t as far along as some fans might think, which could explain why Deadpool 4 is being positioned to move first.
Before any of that hits theaters, Marvel still has two massive crossover events on the way with Avengers: Doomsday arriving on December 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027. Those films are expected to reshape the MCU in a big way, setting the stage for whatever comes next.
