Why Ryan Reynolds Might Not Play Deadpool In His Next Appearance

Ryan Reynolds may not play Deadpool in the Merc with a Mouth's next on-screen appearance, but there's a good reason for that change. Ryan Reynolds has had quite a bit of success in playing Deadpool. His three Deadpool movies have all been box office hits, fans of the character are very happy with Reynolds' performance and the wise-talking personality he embodies, and Reynolds himself has been very vocal about how much he loves playing Wade Wilson.

Despite the success of Ryan Reynolds' time as Deadpool, Marvel still hasn't confirmed Deadpool 4 yet. The character recently entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe properly through 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, but he's not confirmed to appear in any upcoming MCU movies or shows, including the massive crossover event Avengers: Doomsday. Deadpool's future with the MCU isn't very clearly defined yet, but the character does have a future on the small screen.

While Deadpool 4 is still a long way away, the character is set to return in an upcoming Marvel television show in just a matter of months. Deadpool's next appearance will come in X-Men '97 season 2, which is set to premiere on Disney+ on July 1. The animated series isn't part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so it will technically be a different version of Deadpool, but the show will still mark the first time he's been seen on-screen since 2024.

X-Men '97 is bringing Deadpool back for the first time since Deadpool & Wolverine, in a way, but it may be leaving Ryan Reynolds behind. That would be a massive change for the character, as Reynolds has been the face and voice of Deadpool for a full decade now, since he first put on the mask in 2016's Deadpool. There is a reason for this potential change, however, and it shouldn't jeopardize Reynolds' chances of possibly returning for Deadpool 4.

Morph Is Going To Take Deadpool's Form In X-Men '97 Season 2

The trailer for X-Men '97 season 2 revealed that Deadpool would appearing in the upcoming show, with some major caveats. As the trailer showed, Wade Wilson himself won't actually be in X-Men '97; instead, shapeshifting hero Morph will be taking on Deadpool's form. Morph routinely uses their powers to take on the appearance of other characters, as they can also copy the powers of the people they transform into, to a limited degree.

Though X-Men '97's version of Deadpool will be Morph, it's still the first time some variation of Deadpool has appeared in a movie or show since Deadpool & Wolverine. However, since it is Morph taking on Deadpool's appearance, it seems very likely that Ryan Reynolds won't be playing the character. Since X-Men '97 is animated, the only way Reynolds could be involved is as a voice actor, but Morph rarely speaks as the character they turn into, especially in the context of a fight.

Additionally, since Morph turns into Deadpool in the midst of a fight in the trailer, it doesn't seem like they'll be using Deadpool's appearance and powers for long. In all likelihood, Morph will end up transforming into Deadpool for a few moments to help take down an enemy or heal themself and switch back to their base form. As it currently stands, it doesn't look like X-Men '97 will even have a chance for Reynolds to reprise his role as Deadpool.

Even If Morph Speaks As Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds Likely Won't Do The Voice

It is possible that Deadpool will speak in X-Men '97 season 2, but it still likely won't be Ryan Reynolds providing the lines. Morph is capable of speaking in the voices of people he transforms into, as he frequently proves with characters like Jean Grey and Professor X. While he doesn't always use that ability, especially when using a different person's powers in battle, Morph is capable of speaking in Deadpool's voice.

Even if Morph does speak as Deadpool, X-Men '97 likely won't have Ryan Reynolds voice the character. Live-action actors almost never voice their animated counterparts in X-Men '97. For example, Patrick Stewart doesn't voice Xavier, despite playing him in Fox's X-Men movies. Deadpool could be an exception, as he hasn't appeared in the animated series before and Reynolds enjoys playing the character, but it seems much more likely that the show will get a new voice actor for the role.

Additionally, Marvel Studios likely doesn't want to pay Ryan Reynolds to voice Deadpool for what will likely end up being a handful of lines at most, if he speaks at all. Reynolds is an A-list celebrity, and even a handful of voice lines will cost an exorbitant sum. It seems much more likely that X-Men '97 will opt for a dedicated voice actor, as they usually have much lower rates. The show could, hypothetically, even cast a former Deadpool voice actor, such as Nolan North.

Nothing is confirmed about Deadpool's appearance in X-Men '97 season 2 so far, though, so there's always a longshot chance that Reynolds actually could voice the character again. As previously mentioned, Reynolds very much so enjoys playing Wade, and he could decide to provide voice lines for a reduced fee to voice the character. On the whole, however, it overwhelmingly seems like Ryan Reynolds won't be playing Deadpool in X-Men '97 season 2.