Even Logan (2019) was supposed to be Hugh Jackman’s last outing as Wolverine so maybe fans will still get to see Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool in the future.

Things haven’t been looking up at Marvel Studios for a while now with the way superhero flicks have been at an all-time low (yes, that’s an allusion to The Marvels). So, when the biggest tentpole of the year – which happens to double as the franchise’s guardian angel – starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman was announced, the studio saw a flicker of hope for the first time in a long while.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) | Marvel Studios/20th Century Studios

Being the first-ever R-rated Marvel venture with the most iconic and wildest duo of the beloved, snide mercenary and fan-favorite Wolverine, Deadpool 3 has raised a furor among fans all over the world. But while people are rubbing their hands in anticipation, waiting for Reynolds to grace them with momentous cameos and potentially dovetail the Avengers, the Canadian actor is busy weaving his retirement plans.

Ryan Reynolds on the Probable End of His Stint As Deadpool

Before he secured a supporting role as Wade Wilson in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds had been vocal about his vested interest in the character whilst concomitantly lobbying for the opportunity to portray the disfigured mercenary in a possible film adaptation, since circa 2005 (via IGN).

Then came 2016, the year of triumph when Reynolds not only played his dream role but also reached newfangled heights of stardom thanks to Tim Miller’s Deadpool, the raging success of which spawned a sequel, and now a third installment. But Deadpool & Wolverine might just mark the end of the road for the 47-year-old actor and producer if his potential retirement plans are anything to go by.

In a new interview with Variety, when Reynolds was asked about a rough timeline till which he’d like to play the Merc with a Mouth, the Red Notice star had a vague but ominous response for fans.

I don’t know [how much longer can I see myself playing Deadpool]. I could see any version of it. I can imagine a solo movie, being part of an ensemble. I can imagine that this is also the last time. I never feel anything other than that. 

A couple of years ago, when Deadpool 3 was still in the fledgling stages of development, Reynolds had made it clear that the upcoming outing would be his last as the sardonic superhero. “I will only be doing Deadpool for the next two years,” he said on The Jess Cagle Show. “That’s it. Just this one movie, yeah” (via Sirius XM).

But hey, even Hugh Jackman – who’d officially bid farewell to X-Men after Logan’s tragic demise in the 2019 film – dropped the bombshell of his return as Wolverine in the soon-to-be-released Marvel crown jewel. So, never say never.

Is A Deadpool x Avengers Team-Up in the Cards? 

With the way Reynolds has been dropping a trail of hints about a potential Avengers line-up in the Shawn Levy-helmed threequel, MCU fans are counting on Deadpool joining forces with the superhero league.

Recently, the Free Guy star hopped on Instagram to share a picture of him wearing a cap bearing the Avengers logo with an Anarchy ‘A’ painted over it. Just a few days after that, he posted a puzzling clip of a blue flag with the same logo on it, leaving fans to speculate and concoct all sorts of theories about what it could signify.

The flag bearing the Avengers logo with an Anarchy ‘A’ painted over it | via Ryan Reynolds’ Instagram

Not to mention, when asked in the Variety interview whether either of the Deadpool 3 stars is likely to appear in any of the Avengers films that Marvel has queued up in the coming years, both Reynolds and Jackman were largely tight-lipped about it. “I don’t know,” the former mustered. “Yeah, we’ll see. Yeah.”

Perhaps an Avengers x Deadpool outing may be Reynolds’ parting gift to fans, a last hurrah if you will, but that is if his retirement plans hold any veracity, to begin with.

Deadpool & Wolverine is set to release on July 26, 2024.