Deadpool 3 Actor Confirms It’s Begun Filming Amid Writers’ Strike

Deadpool 3 has started filming, according to an Instagram Story post from star Stefan Kapicic, as spotted by Comicbook.com. The production is starting in the middle of the ongoing Writer’s Guild of America strike, meaning that the movie will be moving forward without its writers.

The writers’ strike is currently in its third week, and many television shows and movies — including Stranger Things, Severance, and Yellowjackets — have halted their production schedules until the strike concludes with a fair deal. Marvel Studios, though, is instead choosing to move forward with production on the third Deadpool installment.

While that’s possible when a script has already been written – and the production start date for Deadpool 3 had previously been set for May, so a script likely was already complete – it does mean that any writing duties that might crop up during production will be impacted. The job of a writer does not stop once the script is over; it’s often essential to have writers available on set to adjust the story and give constructive notes during production.

According to Collider, due to the contract that writers for Deadpool 3 have with the studio, actors have to follow the script to the letter. That means star Ryan Reynolds, whose constant quips are an essential aspect of his Deadpool performance, will not be allowed to improvise any lines during production while the strike is ongoing.

Marvel has already paused development of one of its other movies: Blade. The Mahershala Ali vessel, which has already experienced numerous delays, halted pre-production work in early May.

The strike currently has no end in sight due to ongoing contract disagreements between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which bargains on behalf of most of Hollywood’s production studios. Writers are seeking for a modernized contract that reflects how streaming has changed the media landscape. Among many things, writers want to be paid, respected, and protected by the studios that use their work to pull in billions of dollars.

Deadpool 3 is currently set to hit theaters in November of 2024, placing it in the middle of the MCU’s Phase 5. Unlike the previous two movies, Deadpool 3 will be the first Deadpool movie made under the MCU banner, but it will still retain its R-rating. The film will see Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth reuniting with Kapicic as Colossus, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, and Rob Delaney as Peter. Hugh Jackman is also returning as Wolverine for the movie.

For more about the writers’ strike, check out how it might affect some of your favorite shows and movies, from House of the Dragon to the DCU. Also, read more about how Deadpool 3 will see a new side to Jackman’s Wolverine.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.