The Merc with a Mouth will be silenced slightly like his X-Men Origins counterpart as China censors will only premiere the third film with some cuts for content.
When it was announced that the third movie in the Deadpool franchise would be released under its new Disney overlords, many had speculated that it might get its bite taken from it since the company does not partake in more mature content. The character of Deadpool is a crass one, and the source material can get incredibly crude, which the previous films have been able to capitalize on with their adult-oriented entries. Thankfully, Kevin Feige would put everyone’s worries to rest when he made sure that Deadpool & Wolverine would be shooting for an R-rating.
In a new development for this anticipated release, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Deadpool & Wolverine has secured a release date for China and, for the first time, it will be released simultaneously with the U.S. premiere. However, the China release will be showcasing some censored cuts. The original Deadpool from 2016 was not granted a release in China since the movie showcased graphic violence and strong language. Then, the sequel had eventually passed the censors months after its release due to the Once Upon a Deadpool re-edit that gave the film a more holiday vibe and brought it down to a PG-13 rating. That watered-down cut would raise $42 million at the box office in China and would top out at $51 million worldwide.
There hasn’t been a formal announcement from Disney about what cuts will be made. However, the red band trailers for the film have already shown plenty of blood, a pegging joke, references to cocaine and both characters cursing up a storm. Sources that are close to the film have stated that the censored cut will not compromise “the integrity of the storytelling” or the “Deadpool spirit.”
Despite these cuts being made, Ryan Reynolds, who championed and saw this franchise through to its maximum effort, was pleasantly surprised at how uncuffed they were with this film. “I hope it doesn’t sound condescending, I’m really proud of them for doing this. I think it’s a huge step for them,” Reynolds said. “I mean, it adds a whole other color to this kaleidoscopic wheel that is that company and the different people that they have been entertaining forever.“ He continued, “I was surprised though, that they let us go as hard R, but very grateful. I mean there’s no other way to do it.” The actor added that the R rating allowed them “to do anything and everything in a world where anything and everything is possible.”