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Deadpool & Wolverine teased that Wade Wilson was destined for great things in the MCU… but for Ryan Reynolds, who plays the character on screen, the worst thing that could happen for the character would be that he achieves them. Oh, and he also drops that he’s working on something new for the character right now, too.

Speaking at the Time 100 Summit, Reynolds said the key to making Deadpool work is, ironically, failure. “In order for a character that talks like that to work, you have to take everything away from him,” Reynolds explained. “So, his skin, his face — he’s covered in scars, he’s bald. He wears the mask out of shame.”

He continued, “I’m writing a little something right now that is, I don’t know, isn’t an ensemble, but it’s… But, you know, I like that he’s isolated. If Deadpool becomes an Avenger of an X-Man, we’re at the end. That’s his wish fulfillment, and you can’t give him that for a long time.”

Okay, two things to unpack. First: what is Ryan Reynolds writing for Deadpool? Are we going to get a surprise Deadpool project of some kind in the next few years? Surely not a full movie, although there are a some empty slots reserved for Marvel movies on the schedule for the next few years.

Secondly, Reynolds suggesting that Deadpool can’t be an Avenger or X-Men is both ironic considering the character has been both in Marvel’s comic book universe, and an interesting tease to drop given that Deadpool & Wolverine showed a version of the Sacred Timeline where Deadpool was certainly hanging out with the Avengers — or Thor, at least — and being the hero he always wanted to be. Perhaps that really wasn’t an Avengers: Secret Wars tease after all…

Want more? Make sure you've read our list of all the best Marvel Comics stories of all time, and get ready for all the free Marvel comics coming as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day / Comics Giveaway Day events.