Superhero movies are a dime a dozen. Ever since Marvel Studios released Iron Man in 2008, capes and explosions invade our movie theaters every summer. After eight years of predictable comic-book adaptations, it’s tough to get exciting about any of the big releases, but the staff at Escape Games Canada is losing our minds with anticipation over Deadpool. This February’s big release is not just any superhero movie, it is just as genre-bending and subversive as the title character himself. Read on to learn what makes Deadpool so unique.
For anyone who isn’t a big comic book fan, or familiar with the universe and characters portrayed in Marvel Comics, let me tell you a little about Deadpool. His true identity is Wade Wilson, his nickname is “The Merc with the Mouth”, and he is known for his sharp wit and even sharper katanas. That’s right, he’s a mercenary; an anti-hero with a long list of psychosis and a penchant for extreme violence and breaking the fourth wall. His healing factor makes him virtually indestructible and also creates opportunities for comic book writers to put him in some grisly situations. Previous stories have seen him loose numerous body parts and be tortured in all kinds of innovative ways. All of these fun traits are sure to work their way into the movie.
Now, you may be thinking, “but comic book movies are always rated PG. There’s no way it could be that violent”. Deadpool is rated R, in fact, it’s the first comic book adaptation to land an R rating since Blade released in 1998. That means that for the first time in almost twenty years, we are going to see a superhero movie that uses profanity, that is unapologetically violent, and that is just as twisted as the title character himself.
The cherry on top of this sundae of awesome is the fact that Ryan Reynolds is starring. He famously portrayed Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was just as famously panned by fans and critics for being terrible. His portrayal of Wade Wilson was the one bright light in that embarrassing movie, and ever since it released in 2009, fans have been desperate to see Reynolds come back to the character for a spin-off. Their support was key to making Deadpool happen, and now we get to watch every step of Reynolds journey as he excitedly promotes the movie and plugs it’s amazing marketing campaign on social media.
If you’ve seen any of the billboards around, you know that Fox is selling Deadpool as a romantic comedy for Valentine’s Day as well as a hard-hitting action movie. The campaign is just as off-the-wall as Deadpool himself, every poster makes us laugh harder. If these reasons aren’t enough for you to run to the theater to see Deadpool, then you clearly don’t like fun. The entire Escape Games Canada team is counting down the days until we see Deadpool hit the big screen.