In a recent interview with IndieWire, the duo revealed that something as simple as the title of the movie was reason enough for some heated debate during the early days of production. Reynolds commented the name “Wolverine” (the main character played by Hugh Jackman) almost didn’t make it to the final title, and the extremely popular mutant was certainly one of the reasons why audiences were lured into movie theaters. And Wolverine was not the only Marvel character that they had problems to lock in. He stated:

“For some reason, we weren’t allowed to use the name Wolverine in the title. I’d have no idea why, some weird loophole thing, but at the last minute, we changed it to ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ and they somehow pushed it through. But a lot of times, it’s persistence. We were told we couldn’t use Blade or Gambit.”

As you probably know, the Deadpool & Wolverine team ended up managing to have both Blade and Gambit in the movie. The former was reprised by Wesley Snipes (Demolition Man) twenty years after he wrapped the Blade trilogy for 20th Century Fox. The latter was played by Channing Tatum (Magic Mike, Blink Twice), who had been associated with the characters for years. Deadpool & Wolverine also features Jennifer Garner (Family Switch) as Elektra and Dafne Keen (The Acolyte) returning as X23.

Levy went on to reveal that the starting point of many decisions in Deadpool & Wolverine was disheartening. Luckily for fans, they were adamant in several story decisions and they knew exactly what would resonate with audiences and eventually make the movie a dollar-generating machine. But they had to battle the legal team first:

“A lot of things started with ‘no.’ Not because they were micromanaging, but because the lawyers down the hall said, ‘That’s not part of the deal.’ And yeah, we were hopefully respectful hammers. But for sure, we were hammers. If we felt that something was right for this story, if it became a had to have, then we just were a little bit relentless.”

Wolverine’s name also had to be on Deadpool & Wolverine because it represents the beginning of a new era for Marvel in cinemas. Until 2019, some Marvel characters like the X-Men were property of 20th Centuty Fox studios. After Disney bought the company, it meant that those Marvel characters could finally be integrated into the ever-growing world of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America. From the looks of it, though, getting our favorite Marvel characters on the big screen under the Marvel Studios label didn’t come as easily as it looks.

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s worldwide gross is also a beacon of hope for Disney and Marvel Studios, since audiences haven’t responded as well as expected for some of the superhero entries in cinemas. The R-rated title underscores that audiences are still willing to show up, but only if the studios commit to bringing something different and exciting to the screen, instead of being tied to formulas that no longer work.

You have to hand it to Marvel. Despite the intense scrutiny surrounding Deadpool & Wolverine, most of the blockbuster threequel’s big surprise cameos remained intact by the time it entered theaters. Sure, Jennifer Garner’s return as Elektra had been reported in the press and the studio itself spoiled Dafne Keen’s comeback as X-23 in the trailers, but… Wesley Snipes as Blade? Channing Tatum’s Gambit? Chris Evans as Human Torch? Those guys were total surprises.

It turns out that director Shawn Levy, star/producer Ryan Reynolds, and the rest of the team took some sneaky precautions in order to keep these secrets under wraps. The official script for Deadpool & Wolverine has now hit the internet, and it reveals some intriguing details about how the cameos remained under lock and key. Bizarrely, it seems the movie owes a debt of gratitude to *checks notes* Netflix’s Stranger Things?!

It’s true — Deadpool & Wolverine‘s script reveals cameos from all your favorite Stranger Things characters! Well, kind of. With the release of the film’s screenplay, as part of its For Your Consideration awards push, we now know that all of Deadpool 3‘s big surprise cameos were kept hidden by switching out the Marvel characters’ names with those of residents from Hawkins, Indiana.

In the script, (which you can read for yourself here), there is no mention of Elektra, with Garner’s heroine instead referred to as “Eleven.” Meanwhile, Snipes’ Blade is rendered as “Billy.” Cleverly, Chris Evans’ role gets not one but two Stranger Things pseudonyms. When he’s initially mistaken for Captain America, he’s called “Mr. Clarke” but then when he’s revealed as Johnny Storm he’s dubbed “Jonathan.” The funniest one, though, has to be Henry Cavill’s Wolverine, who is instead christened “the Hopper-rene.”

This might seem like an unlikely crossover of universes, until you that Levy is also a producer and director on the smash-hit Netflix series. As the filmmaker said when responding to this revelation on X, “For a brief while, my worlds collided.”

Not every cameo was given a Stranger Things alias, however. Laura Kinney aka X-23 is curiously referred to as “Lemon” while Tatum’s Gambit is hilariously called “Gatsby.” This extends to his iconic introductory line, which is somehow made even funnier. “Dey name’s F. Scott Fitzgerald,” the character says in the script, “but you canna call me da Gatsby.”

These codenames don’t exactly hold up to close inspection — “Gatsby” is still described as possessing a “barely understandable Cajun accent” and Kinney’s character is even called “Lemon from Logan” at one point — but they were clearly effective enough to confuse most people who got their eyes on the script. If any hardcore X-Men fans had managed to get a hold of a copy, there would’ve been trouble, however.

Despite the immense popularity of the series and its cast, it’s peculiar that David Harbour is the only Stranger Things star to crossover into the MCU to date (we’re waiting on you, Millie!), so fans of both can appreciate Levy attempting to manifest a proper incursion of the two universes. Make it happen, Avengers: Secret Wars.

Whatever you might think of Deadpool & Wolverine and its status as a piece of cinema, the fact it was a labor of love for a bunch of close friends and trusted collaborators shines out of the screen in every frame. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, best buds in real life, both worked with director Shawn Levy multiple times before, and we all know by now that Ryan sneaked the entire Reynolds fam into the film.

While Inez Reynolds portrayed Kidpool and Olin Reynolds was Babypool, Blake Lively showed up as the voice of Lady Deadpool. It turns out that wasn’t her only role in the movie, though, as she also suggested a key change to the blockbuster threequel’s conclusion that ended up being the only reason that Deadpool 3 had any reshoots at all. Say what you like about Ryan Reynolds, but if his wife wants something, he makes sure she gets it.

On the film’s audio commentary track, Levy stresses how “very proud” he is that Deadpool & Wolverine only required “a day and a half” of reshoots — it’s typical for Marvel movies to go back before cameras for weeks or even months after test screening necessitate changes. The director reveals that the speech Agent Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) makes after Wade and Logan supposedly perish was a last-minute addition. And it was all Lively’s idea.

“And credit where credit is due,” Levy explained. “It used to be that there was no suspense, that the power room blew up, and our heroes had survived. And it was Blake Lively who said to us, ‘You know, I’ve been with you this whole movie. I want to sit in the fear that they’re lost. Let me be in that place of suspense so the triumph of their survival is more emotional and visceral.'”

It sounds like Levy is forever grateful for Lively making that suggestion, as he its it totally changed his perspective on the scene and improved the emotional oomph of the movie’s ending:

“That was a Blake note and it really opened up a new way of thinking about this part of the movie and it’s why we did this reshoot… and, here, the payoff is so much more satisfying,” Levy concluded.

This isn’t the first time we’ve found out how involved Reynolds and Lively are in each other’s movies. The Gossip Girl icon previously revealed that a key sequence from her recent — and controversial — romantic drama It Ends With Us was written by Reynolds himself. That’s despite him having nothing to do with that film, whereas at least Lively played Ladypool in DP3.

Given how much impact Blake had on Deadpool & Wolverine, let’s hope she gets to return in an expanded role as Lady Deadpool — aka Wanda Wilson — in Deadpool 4. Don’t expect that to happen just yet, however, as Reynolds had the perfect response when asked about doing another Marvel production: “I have four kids that I wouldn’t mind introducing myself to at some point.” We know he’s kidding because clearly Ryan has mastered the art of turning work time into family time.

We’re just minutes away from the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, where Eugene Levy and his son Dan will set the stage for recognizing the very best that television has to offer these days.

This will be the first time in Emmys history that the ceremony has been hosted by a father and son duo, but the surname they share may bring to mind another entertainment heavyweight in the form of Shawn Levy, who recently marked himself as the MCU’s latest yes-man with Deadpool & Wolverine.

So, is Shawn Levy part of this particular Levy clan?

Is Shawn Levy related to Eugene Levy? x1942

Despite sharing a last name and both hailing from Canada, Shawn bears no relation to the Schitt’s Creek star and four-time Emmy winner.

Eugene landed his first Primetime Emmy Award in 1982, winning Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for his work on the SCTV Network episode “Moral Majority Show.” He would win the same award for the same program in 1983, for the episode “Sweeps Week.”

As the co-creator of the aforementioned Schitt’s Creek with Dan, Eugene scored two nominations in 2019, one for Outstanding Comedy Series and one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (the latter for his role of Johnny Rose). Both of these nominations would become wins in 2020.

Beyond Emmys, Eugene was also nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe for his work on Schitt’s Creek in 2021, and won a Screen Actors Guild Award in the same year for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series (an honor he was previously nominated for in 2019). Also in 2021, he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series, again for Schitt’s Creek.

Shawn has seen his fair share of Emmys action as well. Despite never winning, he’s been nominated on three separate occasions, all of them for Outstanding Drama Series for his work on Stranger Things. These nominations would come in 2017, 2018, and 2020. As a film producer, he also has an Academy Award nomination under his belt for his work on Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 sci-fi film Arrival.

Among the dramatic and comedic contenders up for honors tonight’s Primetime Emmys ceremony include established juggernauts such as The Bear, Abbott Elementary, The Crown, and The Morning Show, and hot new hopefuls like Baby Reindeer, Fallout, 3 Body Problem, and Shōgun, the latter of which bears the honor of being the most-nominated program of the whole show with 25 nominations.

Deadpool & Wolverine was almost short one of its mind-blowing cameos as it turns out one multiversal character who shows up in the superhero blockbuster was originally supposed to be played by Ryan Reynolds himself…

The Deadpool Corps fight scene is one of the most blood-pumping, and blood-spilling, parts of the movie, with the epic action sequence seeing Wade Wilson and Logan slicing and dicing their way through a legion of Deadpool variants. Although none of the Deadpool Corps remove their masks — not even Lady Deadpool, and we’re still not over it — they are brought to life by a variety of hilarious vocal cameos. Including basically the entire Reynolds clan.

Easily the most surprising Deadpool Corps cameo, though, has to be Matthew McConaughey as Cowboypool. Although many probably came away from the film thinking “hey, whoever voiced that guy did a really good McConaughey impression!”, those who paid attention to the credits would’ve seen that this actually was the man himself. That said, the Dazed and Confused icon wasn’t always set to play the part.

According to director Shawn Levy, he was originally keen to have Reynolds voice Cowboypool himself. The movie’s leading man even recorded all the character’s lines, but he was determined to get a big name to replace him. Levy himself wasn’t convinced that was necessary, until McConaughey miraculously agreed to come aboard.

“Ryan [Reynolds] in early cuts was the voice of Cowboypool,” Levy revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “He did the greatest Cowboypool and I implored him to let us use his voice.”

His tune changed, however, when McConaughey came through for them:

“I feel like, eventually, he was like, ‘Okay fine, we’ll stick with my voice unless we can get someone like Matthew McConaughey.’ Cut to…yes! Literally, days later, Matthew sent us that recording. It was so good and dropped in like butter. ‘Ryan, you’re fired as Cowboypool. Matthew, you’re in.'”

Although we hope Reynolds’ voiceover for Cowboypool ends up getting shared at some point, McConaughey’s cameo is easily up there with Brad Pitt as the Vanisher in Deadpool 2 as one of the most unlikely actor appearances in a Marvel movie. You might say everything turned out alright, alright, alright in the end.

Do we have a new record? It seems the honeymoon period for Marvel’s newly announced event movie, Avengers: Doomsday, is already over after just one week since its announcement. You can thank some alleged plot details for the junked The Kang Dynasty for this one. Said plot details are convincing fans that maybe things were actually better before Robert Downey Jr. returned to play Doctor Doom, as his presence may just have a major negative effect that everyone, in their excitement, overlooked…

“We were robbed’: Avengers 5 rumored plot details have fans furious at Downey’s Doom for ruining the fun 40571l

In the wake of The Kang Dynasty‘s demise, a rumored plot synopsis is circling social media… and it’s basically the stuff Marvel dreams are made of. As shared by scooper MyTimeToShineHello, the original vision for Avengers 5 supposedly would’ve seen the TVA recruit various Anchor Beings from across the multiverse to combat the Council of Kangs. This would’ve included Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider (!), and all three Spider-Men. So why can’t this still happen, just with Doom instead of Kang? There’s a very good chance that Downey’s $80 million earnings for this one may mean that the casting budget has been seriously slashed. Get ready for an Avengers team consisting of Madisynn, Jimmy Woo, and Howard the Duck. Actually, I would totally watch that.

After delivering Marvel’s biggest box office success for years, you can bet the studio will be keen to keep Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy around. Sure enough, the filmmaker is teasing that more collaborations are coming. “I’m very confident Marvel and I aren’t done with each other,” he teased to Variety. So what could Levy’s next MCU movie be? According to DanielRPK, one project Levy is reportedly in the running to direct is, believe it or not, the Young Avengers film. This one has been discussed for so long now that it’s almost mythical. Could Levy be the one to make it before Hailee Steinfeld turns 30?

Henry Cavill didn’t hesitate to sign up for his Wolverine cameo — or to shave his mustache 6y644h

It’s a tough contest, but Henry Cavill’s appearance as a Wolverine variant — aka the Cavillerine — is one of the most surprising and fan-pleasing cameos in Deadpool 3. Unsurprisingly, for the king of cameos himself, the Superman star immediately agreed to the film when asked. “He said ‘yes’ right away because he knew it would be subversive and playful,” Levy confirmed to Variety. Cavill, for his part, has finally announced his cameo on Instagram, making a hilarious Justice League joke in the process. “To be safe, I shaved the moustache off for this one,” Cavill quipped. “Just the moustache.” Keep it off, Henry, Marvel did promise they’d treat you better than those jerks down the street. Maybe they’ll invite him back for Doomsday — if they can afford him.

The MCU has been waiting for a true hero to come along and there is no one better than the antihero Deadpool. After years of lackluster content, fans are excited to see the Merc with a Mouth hit the big screen in his Disney debut.

Ryan Reynolds’ depiction of the wise-cracking antihero has always been a hit for the brand. If there is anything that will revitalize Marvel, it is his team-up with X-Men royalty, Wolverine. Uniting with Hugh Jackman for the first time since the maligned X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the two will finally do Deadpool and Logan as they were meant to be seen.

Making sure not to tarnish the impeccable Logan film, Deadpool & Wolverine will utilize a Wolverine from a different timeline to help Deadpool save his world from dying. The film will incorporate the TVA from Disney Plus’ Loki as well as an exciting cast of cameos from the Fox universe of X-Men and the wider MCU. This has all come together under the direction of one industry professional, who is excited to see this train keep on churning.

When looking for the director to helm the newest Deadpool film, Shawn Levy may not have been the most obvious choice. He has been most notable for projects geared toward a younger audience, most famously Netflix’s flagship series, Stranger Things. Even so, he was the right choice for the third film in the mature superhero franchise. After collaborating with Reynolds on Free Guy and The Adam Project, Levy was quick to agree to direct Deadpool & Wolverine. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he was a fan of the character and Marvel even before meeting Reynolds. This was a match made in blood-soaked heaven. Now the film is one of the most anticipated projects of the year, and Levy hopes to continue the relationship.

What I will say is I absolutely foresee more collaborations between Marvel and me. The when and the what is yet to be seen. And contrary to so many assumptions out there, and even within myself before I had this experience, I’ve been arguably more creatively empowered and trusted on this movie than just about any other I’ve ever made.

Levy is a dark horse for the season, but that is exactly what Marvel needs. Since Avengers: Endgame, the studio has been struggling to find its next big thing. The only projects that have worked out are shows that have operated outside the box, such as WandaVision and Loki. It seems that what the studio really needed was fresh blood to infuse into the superhero world. Levy is that blood, and considering how well previews for Deadpool 3 are going, he has a bright future ahead of him.

The Merc with the Mouth actor is trying to stay mum, but it’s just possible that a one-word response to a very loaded question is enough to give away the truth. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are jumping into the MCU for the very first time in Deadpool & Wolverine, and by the looks of things, it’s unlikely to be the last time.

Variety spoke with Reynolds, Jackman, and director Shawn Levy just days ahead of Deadpool 3‘s release, and the interviewer Rebecca Rubin dared asked them the one thing every Marvel fan wants to know; will Wade Wilson and/or Logan be back for any of the two Avengers movies. The typically motormouthed Reynolds was curiously tongue-tied with his response, but his repeated use of a single word seems to give the game away. “I don’t know,” he muttered. “Yeah, we’ll see. Yeah.”

Jackman was perhaps even less coy, itting: “Clearly, this is our first major interview of this press tour. I’m not sure how to answer.” Levy then joked that the three of them are going to have to work on coming up with a better response for next time: “We’re going to get a far more packed and evasive answer for all future interviews.”

All the signs are pointing to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman returning for at least one Avengers film 1y6h50

Reynolds already got tongues wagging over the possibility of Jackman’s Wolvie returning for more MCU outings when he announced that his pal is the “only” and “one” Wolverine to the crowd at the Berlin leg of the movie’s world tour.

That arguably could’ve been just one friend paying another a nice compliment, but when put together with these awkward comments from the Deadpool 3 crew, it certainly sounds like Marvel isn’t going to recast Logan anytime soon because Jackman will be back for Avengers 5 and/or 6. With Reynolds by his side, of course, but then Deadpool’s Marvel future was never really in doubt. It’s just that now it seems we can expect these two to come as a package deal.

So, Deadpool and Wolverine are virtually confirmed to return in an Avengers film — but will it be both of them or just one of them? And, if the latter, which one? Given the multiversal scope of Avengers: Secret Wars, the grand finale to the Multiverse Saga seems like a sure bet. However, it’s feasible they could cameo — perhaps in a post-credits scene — in the currently entitled Avengers 5 (formerly known as The Kang Dynasty), too.

Could Deadpool 3 even end with an Iron Man-spoofing scene of Nick Fury recruiting Wade and Logan into the Avengers’ ranks? Or are they going to make us wait until 2026 or 2027 to see the duo cross paths with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? The truth shall be revealed upon Deadpool & Wolverine slashing into cinemas on July 26.

A lot of dominoes had to fall in exactly the right way to make Deadpool & Wolverine happen. Hugh Jackman’s grand return to the Marvel multiverse seemed destined never to occur after he made a big show about 2017’s Logan being his final outing in the X-Men franchise. And yet star Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy managed to twist his Adamantium-filled arm.

A lot of that probably had to do with Jackman and Reynolds’ long-running friendship, which is easily the best of the few good things to come out of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but let’s not overlook Levy’s contribution either. Just like Reynolds and Levy are frequent collaborators, having already made Free Guy and The Adam Project, Jackman and Levy had worked together before as well.

In perfect timing, then, the movie that helped make Deadpool 3 possible is now pummeling its way up the charts on streaming. And that’s something that should help further convince Disney that a belated follow-up or two is well worth it.

Real Steel KO-ing the competition on streaming bodes well for sequel and TV show chances 556d68

Even if you’ve never seem Real Steel, you’ve probably heard of the “robot boxing movie.” In the 2011 sports sci-fi flick, set in the then-far-off future year of 2020, Hugh Jackman stars as a former boxer who builds a robot with his son to compete in the now robot-dominated sport.

Real Steel’s legacy is a funny one, as while it only received mixed responses from critics (sitting at a mere 60% on Rotten Tomatoes), it did earn a sizeable $299.3 million at the box office and has cultivated itself a cult following — particularly among Hugh Jackman diehards. Plus, thanks to Levy’s career boom in recent years, talk of it belatedly becoming a franchise has even gained steam.

In 2021, Levy expressed a hunger to make a sequel. Interestingly, he itted that his main goal in making said movie would be to reunite Jackman and Reynolds on screen. “I will get them together,” he promised. “Whether it’s in Real Steel or another movie, I will direct those two amazing guys and dear friends in a movie together.”

Well, he got his wish, alright! Honestly, D&W is probably what’s cooled Levy’s determination to get Real Steel 2 made, but at least Disney Plus has got other ideas. In 2022, a Real Steel streaming series entered development, which Levy confirmed was still in the works as of late 2023. Maybe the fact that the movie has risen up the ranks to stand as the seventh most popular title on Netflix worldwide (as per FlixPatrol) will convince the studio to fast-track a return to the Real Steel-verse.

It looks like Marvel might have its director for the next Avengers movie at long last. After losing original helmer Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi) and then its leading villain when Jonathan Majors was convicted of assault, Avengers 5 could finally be back on track thanks to the hiring of Deadpool & Wolverine‘s own Shawn Levy in the director’s seat.

Deadline is reporting that Marvel is “courting” Levy to take on directing duties for the film formerly known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, with the filmmaker given the latest draft of the script from Loki scribe Michael Waldron. However, it’s noted that Levy has yet to commit to whether he wants to do it or not. And who can blame him! He has some big shoes to slip into with taking the baton from the Russo brothers, who made Avengers: Endgame the one-time biggest movie ever made.

Not that Avengers 5 is at risk of being a small chamber piece. Deadline also stresses that sources say “over 60 MCU characters” are in the running to reprise their roles in the film. And, by the sounds of it, this doesn’t just mean a lot of cameos either as it’s stated that, with the OG Avengers gone, Avengers 5 will be much “more of an ensemble feature” and less focused on one or two specific heroes.

Our next question? Exactly which 60 MCU characters are we talking about here? Well, let’s see if we can work that out…

Every MCU character who could return for Shawn Levy’s Avengers 5 511j4t

1-6: Deadline specifically names six actors likely to return – Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Benedict Cumberbatch (Strange), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Karen Gillan (Nebula).

7-13: The new leading stars of the Multiverse Saga’s Phases Four and Five will likely make appearances, so that includes Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Mahershala Ali (Blade) and Levy’s old pals Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine).

14-21: Let’s not forget the Disney Plus heroes either; Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Paul Bettany (White Vision) Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight), Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Wonder Man), Dominique Thorne (Ironheart), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), and Charlie Cox (Daredevil).

22-28: The Thunderbolts* team – Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Sebastian Stan (Bucky), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Olga Kuryenko (Taskmaster), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), Wyatt Russell (U.S. Agent), and Lewis Pullman (Sentry)

29-34: The Young Avengers – Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel), Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop), Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang), Joe Locke (Wiccan), Xochitl Gomez (America Chavez) and TBD (Speed)

35-38: The surviving Guardians – Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Vin Diesel (Groot), and Will Poulter (Adam Warlock).

39-43: The Fantastic Four (possibly) – Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Thing), and Julia Garner (Silver Surfer).

44-50: The Eternals – Gemma Chan (Sersi), Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo), Angelina Jolie (Thena), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos), Lauren Ridloff (Makkari), Barry Keoghan (Druig), and Harry Styles (Eros).

51-62: Assorted Avengers, Defenders, and anti-heroes – Don Cheadle (War Machine), Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Benedict Wong (Wong), Kathryn Hahn (Agatha), Hayley Atwell (Captain Carter), Jon Bernthal (Punisher), Tenoch Huerta (Namor), Brett Goldstein (Hercules), and Harrison Ford (Red Hulk).

Avengers 5 is scheduled to blast into theaters on May 1, 2026.

Nearly a decade after the cinematic spectacle of Real Steel hit the screens in 2011 fans continue to demand a sequel. The film, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Hugh Jackman, captivated audiences with its unique blend of futuristic robot boxing, heartfelt storytelling, and adrenaline-pumping action. As the years have ed, the desire to explore uncharted territories in the captivating world of mechanized pugilism remains.

Now a fan-made trailer is going viral on YouTube, so could Real Steel 2 actually happen?

What is Real Steel about? 1a1x

Real Steel unfolds in an era where human pugilists have been supplanted by fighting robots. Beneath the veneer of mechanized pugilism, the story is a heartfelt exploration of the bond between a father (Hugh Jackman) and his son (Dakota Goyo).

Despite the film’s resounding success at the box office, amassing $264 million against a $110 million budget, it didn’t automatically translate into a greenlit sequel. Even so, it has become a classic to many Gen-Zers and trended in Netflix’s Top 10 during the pandemic. So after 12 excruciating years of longing for a sequel, the question becomes, “Will we ever get a Real Steel 2?”

Will a sequel happen? 2v65p

After the release of Real Steel, Levy hinted at a sequel. However, the project seemingly faded as Levy and Jackman pursued different ventures.

Despite their busy schedules, the professional relationship between Levy and Jackman endured. Jackman made cameo appearances in Levy’s Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and lent his voice to Free Guy. The duo have now reunited for Deadpool 3, raising hopes for Real Steel 2.

The continued interest in Real Steel, coupled with the creative synergy between Levy and Jackman, may hint at a promising future for fans of robot boxing. As fans eagerly await news and developments, we may yet dream of a future in which these metallic warriors once again clash again on the big screen.

The fan-made Real Steel 2 trailer 5k4b3k

But whether or not Real Steel 2 actually happens, at least we now have a taste of what it may look like. In this viral fan-made trailer we see Charlie Kenton re-entering the Robot Boxing Competition, enticed by the allure of a substantial one-million-dollar prize. This “dream trailer” strategically incorporates clips from films like Chappie, Ready Player One, and Bad Education to present a revitalized perspective on the characters and storyline.

The jury’s out on Real Steel 2 ever becoming happening, but fans like this are keeping the franchise alive.

A combination of television’s ongoing Golden Age and the streaming era may have undoubtedly combined to make episodic storytelling more cinematic than ever, but at the end of the day it’s still TV. Don’t say that to Shawn Levy, though, because he can’t seem to reconcile with that fact.

The executive producer and occasional director of Netflix’s behemoth Stranger Things has repeatedly offered that the cultural juggernaut is cinema, overlooking the obvious fact it’s split into individual chapters that coexist to form an overarching story arc commonly referred to as “a season.”

And yet, despite his latest offering All the Light We Cannot See being listed among the streaming service’s “Series” section and consisting of four episodes, in an interview with People he once again couldn’t wrap his head around the concept of directing a TV show.

“I wanted to approach it like a long movie, in this case, a four-hour movie. It looks unlike anything I’ve ever made. The performances have a very different tone than anything I’ve made. It’s a straight-up period drama.”

While the production values, cinematography, visual effects, and no doubt the budget are easily comparable with a feature film, if All the Light We See wanted to be a movie then it probably would have been seeing as the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel won’t have been short of suitors since first being published.

Levy is currently working on Deadpool 3, which is very much a movie because it’s a single contained tale set to be released exclusively in theaters, but he’ll also be directing an episode of Stranger Things 5, which is a TV show. Just don’t expect him to say that out loud when it finally arrives, though.