*Warning: Spoilers ahead for Deadpool*
Deadpool Mania has taken the world by storm. The movie has exceeded all expectations, breaking multiple box office records, with much of the success being credited to its faithfulness to the source material. The filmmakers truly captured the essence of the character, and Ryan Reynolds has revealed himself to be the real life Wade Wilson (minus the murdering, as far as we know). However, it did make one huge change to the Merc with a Mouth’s story: it gave him a happy ending (insert Deadpool-appropriate joke here).
As funny as he is, Deadpool is really a tragic character. Rarely does he get what he wants, and it never lasts long when he does. So to see him and Vanessa reunite to live happily ever after was a bit surprising. In fact, the scope of the film’s romantic element was something of a surprise in general.
Deadpool is not a character known for his love interests. Granted, they exist (he’s currently married to Shiklah, Queen of the Undead), and Vanessa was a partner of his from the comics, so that was actually adapted faithfully. But they’ve never played a central role in his mythology like in the movie.
Admittedly, the film handled the romance well; it wasn’t overplayed or sappy. It worked as a way to drive the plot forward. However, now that Wade’s origin story is out of the way, should Vanessa return in Deadpool 2? She’s a great character, for sure. Morena Baccarin absolutely owned the role, and the writers established her as a strong, kickass female lead. But that doesn’t mean she’ll fit as well a second time.
The Regenerating Degenerate himself has already promised fans that Cable will appear in the sequel, already in development. That suggests an epic team-up, full of action and senseless violence (basically all of the best parts of 2016’s Deadpool), paving the way for a hardcore X-Force film.
During the mayhem, should the lead antihero be worrying about how his actions will affect his girlfriend at home? Deadpool is at his best with nothing to lose; that’s what inspires his recklessness. Fans love him because he never considers the ramifications of his actions.
Consider this: Wade and Cable are tearing up bad guys, kicking ass and taking names, and it’s glorious. Do viewers want to see him stop and reflect on whether or not he’s putting Vanessa in danger, similar to what happened with Francis? Probably not. He’s invincible; he shouldn’t have to worry about anything. Save that kind of depth and character development for someone who needs it.
Perhaps Vanessa should be benched in the sequel. She can be written out pretty subtly; films have done that before (Batman Returns disregarding Vicki Vale would be the most apt comparison). And, if she must be addressed, a throwaway line can do the job. Maybe this will annoy some fans since it “breaks the rules,” but isn’t that what the first Deadpool flick was all about? A follow-up might simply do better without the love interest.
Unless they mutate her into her superhero persona, Copycat:
That would just add to the unbridled insanity, which is something all fans would be ok with.
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Deadpool is currently in theaters; Deadpool 2 is still being written. In the meantime, enjoy the “Deadpool Rap” below:
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNm-_MG0HHc[/embedyt]
