Nearly all of the Marvel character rights are finally in one place thanks to the recent Fox/Disney merger, and this means the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be introducing new characters during Phases Four and Five. According to a new report, Deadpool will be the first “Fox” character integrated into the MCU, and the plan for the Merc With a Mouth includes an end credits scene in next year’s Black Widow, an appearance in the upcoming Avengers, and his own solo flick.

Marvel has big plans for Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool | Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

Fitting an R-rated character into a PG-13 world

Deadpool isn’t your average comic book character, and the two Deadpool movies released by Fox weren’t your average superhero flicks. They were mature stories for adults filled with violence, profanity, and sex. Marvel Comics never intended for the character to be family-friendly, but how does that work now that Deadpool will be entering the notoriously PG-13 Marvel Cinematic Universe?

According to Variety, Marvel Studios is trying to answer that question. They don’t want to change the character, so they are creating a plan for Deadpool to move seamlessly between the family-friendly Avengers spin-offs and his own solo films with more adult content.

Deadpool 2 director David Leitch recently said that the next Deadpool movie “doesn’t necessarily need to be R-rated” because that’s not the MCU brand. However, he added that “Disney doesn’t necessarily only need to make PG-13 movies. I think we’ll find a happy [middle] ground.”

An R-rated Disney movie isn’t completely out of the question. Back in 2013, they released The Fifth Estate starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Ryan Reynolds reportedly signed a new deal

Marvel will eventually introduce the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the MCU with new actors and storylines that will look nothing like what Fox has released in the past two decades. But, the plan for Deadpool is very different.

Ryan Reynolds’ version of Wade Wilson is so popular, there is no need to change something that already works so well with fans. Instead of wasting time on a Deadpool reboot down the road, Disney/Marvel has reportedly signed Reynolds to a new deal to bring him into the MCU right away.

Back in June I teased this on Twitter. Todya my sources have said Deadpool will be in end credits scene for Black Widow and Deadpool will appear in upcoming Avengers. Ryan Reynolds reportedly signed new deal with Disney/Marvel recently. https://t.co/gja4XsduKS — Lords of the Long Box (@timvo) August 13, 2019

Tim Vo from Lords of the Long Box says that the Merc’s first appearance will be in a post-credits scene in next summer’s standalone Black Widow film, and the rumor is that the clip will feature Deadpool and Taskmaster meeting in a bar.

However, this is pure speculation and Marvel has not confirmed that this is how they will bring Deadpool into the MCU.

Deadpool in Phase Five

Following a possible appearance in a Black Widow end credits scene, Deadpool will reportedly be part of Avengers 5. Marvel president Kevin Feige isn’t giving fans any details about this project, but he has confirmed that Avengers 5 is happening and it will be different than what fans saw during the first three phases of the MCU.

It also looks like Reynolds hinted on Instagram that a solo Deadpool film will be part of Phase Five. Late last month he posted a pic celebrating the five-year anniversary of the “leak” of the first Deadpool film.

The photo featured a bulletin board covered in pics of “leak” suspects that Deadpool was investigating. Each suspect was connected to a photo of Deadpool with red yarn, and he is 70 percent sure he didn’t leak the news himself.

In the caption, Reynolds wrote, “Investigation heading into year 5. Or as I call it, ‘Phase 5.’ The point is, I love conspiracy-yarn. #LeakAversary”

Rumor has it that Marvel will introduce the Phase Five Deadpool standalone flick at the upcoming D23 Expo.