Levy Unfazed by Deadpool & Wolverine Leaks

“Reality bites.” A often-recycled sentiment we’d expect to hear from everyone’s favorite fourth-wall-breaking mercenary, Deadpool. Interchangeably, it’s an apt way to sum up the everyday woes of shooting an action-packed film in real-world locations. Set photo leaks? Not ideal. But according to Shawn Levy, director of the upcoming COVID-wouldn’t-let-this-meet-cute-go-away, bonanza film — “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the task at hand is a price worth paying.

The film opts for a fuller taste of reality without the garnishing of green screens. Its modus operandi? Practical sets in the real world. An audacious step that paints a rather tempting bullseye on the project for those hungry paparazzi hounds, who, much like your friend from college who posts spoilers on their social media, seem to revel in dishing out unbidden plot point reveals. However, while Marvel Studios are no strangers to sweat trickling down their brows at leaked shots, this was a risk Levy was willing to take.

The man himself, Ryan Reynolds, the dashing quick-witted quip-machine behind the Deadpool mask, was vocal about the photo leaks back in December 2023. Yet, it’s only now that Levy has decided to ring in his two cents during an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Throw Caution (and plotlines) to the Wind

According to Levy, this bold punch is not one thrown in haste. It’s a premeditated uppercut. A calculated risk, signed off by none other than the Marvel President, Kevin Feige, to inject a dose of rugged reality into this collaborative whirlwind of a movie. Levy explained, “That meant limited sound stages, limited green screen, and way, way more practical scenes shot in real-world exterior locations.”

In 2023, paparazzi managed to grab some eye-opening shots of our titular heroes, Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in a clay quarry in London. Talk about an explosive backdrop — a gigantic 20th Century Fox logo featured prominently.

Proactive as ever, this prompted Levy and crew to hit pause on filming. Time to flip the script. If the cat’s going to be let out of the bag, better do it with style. Which they did, by releasing the “first official photo” of our heroes in costume, standing casually on a dirt road. They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, right?

The sequel to 2018’s Deadpool 2, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” sees our beloved Merc with a Mouth, yanked from his life of tranquility by the Time Variance Authority for a mission with a Wolverine variant. Last time we saw this duo sharing the screen was in 2009 during the X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Joining Reynold and Jackman will be Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Stefan Kapičić, Shiori Kutsuna, Lewis Tan, and Rob Delaney. We’ll also see an introduction of Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Aaron Stanford, Jennifer Garner, Dafne Keen, Tyler Mane, and Wunmi Mosaku.

So let’s set our Marvel-ous calendars, folks. Streets will be deserted, popcorn filled to the brim, as “Deadpool & Wolverine” burst into theaters on July 26, 2024. The adventure continues in Phase 5 of MCU. And spoilers or not, the anticipation builds.