Marvel Studios will put Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy in his own class of MCU creatives with another title.
Levy has the distinct honor of directing the MCU’s first-ever R-rated movie, teaming up for a third time with star Ryan Reynolds following their work on 2021’s Free Guy and 2022’s The Adam Project.
This will make Levy one of the busiest men in Hollywood over the next couple of years, as his work on Deadpool 3 will overlap slightly with his time on Stranger Things Season 5, in which he’s played an integral role over the last few years.
And, as it turns out, that Deadpool 3 job doesn’t end with his title as the movie’s director either.
As part of Deadline‘s report confirming Karan Soni and Leslie Uggams’ returns in Deadpool 3, director Shawn Levy was reported to also serve as a producer on the MCU threequel alongside the film’s star, Ryan Reynolds, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
This will mark the first time in MCU history that Marvel Studios has decided to give a movie director producing credit on the film they are already directing.
Looking back at the MCU’s recent history, WandaVision director Matt Shakman also served as a producer on his Disney+ show, allowing him to break the initial mold for Marvel Studios directors being producers.
Additionally, Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy director James Gunn has executive producing credits on Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He also holds the same title on I Am Groot and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+.
In Gunn’s case, he wasn’t the director of Infinity War, Endgame, or I Am Groot, and the Guardians’ Holiday Special was a Disney+ presentation rather than a movie.
He’s also listed on the projects as an executive producer instead of as a producer, meaning he was likely only involved with smaller aspects of those projects rather than overseeing the entire production. This was different for the Holiday Special, however, with Gunn acting as both an executive producer and the director.
How Levy Is Diving Deep With Deadpool 3 Duties
Marvel Studios has allowed its creatives to go further than ever with their duties on MCU projects, including several actors who have also become executive producers on their shows or movies.
This even includes Deadpool 3 itself, as Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Productions will co-produce the movie with Marvel Studios as he brings Deadpool into the MCU for the first time.
Considering Levy and Reynolds’ history with one another, there is no doubt that Levy is ready to take on the challenge of infusing such a beloved character with the franchise that fans have wanted to see him join for years.
As filming looks to get going over the coming months, fans will likely get more insight into Levy and Reynolds’ work on the threequel soon, especially considering how highly-anticipated this project is.
And with Levy joining such an elite class of MCU directors, it naturally opens the door to him staying with the franchise for more than one solo movie.
Deadpool 3 will debut in theaters on November 8, 2024.
