Deadpool 3 Stops Production Due to Actors’ Strike

Deadpool 3 has stopped filming after the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) opted to move forward with strike action.

According to Variety, the cast and crew of the R-rated MCU movie suspended production on July 14, with actors joining the Writers Guild of America (WAG) on the picket lines after the actors union failed to reach a new contract deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) following four weeks of negotiations.

The WGA has been on strike since May 2, bringing writing duties on film and TV to a halt. However, some productions continued filming if their scripts were already complete, but the double strike featuring a work stoppage from both writers and actors will have massive implications for Hollywood.

Deadpool 3 is one of the first major productions to pause production amid the new strike, and it comes not long after filming had begun. Colossus actor Stefan Kapicic shared an Instagram Story in May to confirm cameras had started rolling on the highly anticipated threequel amid the ongoing WAG strike.

A photo from the set dropped on July 10, giving fans a first look at Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine alongside Deadpool’s titular star Ryan Reynolds. The two actors appeared side-by-side in their superhero costumes, with Jackman sporting Wolverine’s fan-favourite yellow and blue suit made famous by the X-Men comics.

Jackman isn’t the only star making a Marvel return, as Jennifer Garner is also apparently reprising her role as Elektra for Deadpool 3. She joins Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, Kapicic as Colossus, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Rob Delaney as Peter, Karan Soni as Dopinder, and Leslie Uggams as Blind Al.

Deadpool 3 had been targeting a May 2024 release, but the shutdown could cause a pushback on that date, depending on how long the strikes last. With both guilds in a united front, they now hold significantly more leverage – however, Hollywood studios have reportedly planned to wait out the strike until at least October.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.