Even before the Disney and Fox deal closed, Disney CEO Bob Iger indicated the studio's willingness to make Deadpool 3 with an R-rating in 2017. During the intervening years, Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige often reiterated his intent to make sure Deadpool 3 had the same R-rating that its predecessors had. But that doesn't mean Deadpool and Wolverine's Ryan Reynolds wasn't shocked when Disney and Marvel actually went through with it.

"I hope it doesn't sound condescending, I'm really proud of [Disney and Marvel] for doing this," said Reynolds during an interview with Fandango alongside his co-star Hugh Jackman and their director Shawn Levy. "I think it's a huge step for them. 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 for forever so I was surprised though that they let us go... hard R."

"I mean there's no other way to do it," added Reynolds. "You know for this character and this world and particularly you know Logan being an R-rated film as well. I felt like that was the most kind of full-throated version of Wolverine or Logan that we've ever seen. So it really allowed us a lot of freedom, not exploiting the R rating, just to do R-rated stuff. But it's really allowing us to kind of do anything and everything in a world where anything and everything is possible."