Deadpool & Wolverine Won't Have A Post-Credits Scene Or Ryan Reynolds Is Trolling Us

Phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a real crisis for Kevin Feige and co. The Marvel Studios head has been forced back to the drawing board in the wake of audiences realizing, en masse, that there's been far too much of the MCU and it's getting ridiculous. Since then, Disney and Marvel Studios have seemingly taken their declining box office returns and the general superhero malaise that has settled among audiences seriously. The biggest and most promising sign of an actual course-correction taking place was the announcement that we'll be getting far fewer MCU movies in the future, with only a single movie in the shared universe releasing in 2024.

That movie is, of course, "Deadpool & Wolverine," the first Deadpool movie from Marvel Studios and a potential "Spider-Man: No Way Home"-level event (which, in my opinion, is the only type of movie Marvel should be putting out). Not only will this film bring Hugh Jackman's Wolverine out of retirement, but it also promises to provide fans with an array of other cameos from beloved Marvel figures past and present. What's more, as is customary for the Merc with a Mouth, this film will mark a real departure from the family-friendly fare we're all used to from Marvel Studios, and represents the first R-rated feature from the company.

These bold swings and departures from MCU custom could well be what Marvel Studios needs for its reinvention to be successful. Now, it seems we could also be about to witness the death of the dreaded post-credits scene with "Deadpool & Wolverine."

Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool is self-aware. That's his whole thing. It's a neat little jokey joke that Reynolds in particular seems to be a little too taken with. But while his whole fourth-wall breaking schtick might well be a little tired at this point, some of that self-awareness could come in handy at this stage in the MCU's story. In fact, it might be the exact thing Kevin Feige and Disney need to turn things around. The "Deadpool & Wolverine" trailer was packed with self-referential, meta quips, with Reynolds' Wade Wilson referring to "third act flashbacks" and even name-checking Feige directly in a bit about drug usage. Now, it seems this self-awareness might just have saved us from yet another post-credits scene.

Since the MCU's inception, the post-credits scene has been a way to prime audiences for whatever Feige had cooking, building anticipation for the next installment in the saga and getting everyone excited about what was to come. It was fun when it started, but over the years these MCU post-credits scenes became routine and dull, and it seems Reynolds noticed.

Hidden in the latest "Deadpool & Wolverine" teaser is a QR code that links viewers to a "disclaimer" video hosted on Reynolds personal YouTube channel. In the video, he gives a hasty explanation of what audiences can expect from the upcoming film, at one point mentioning that he and the filmmakers will "completely sidestep Marvel's mandated after-credits sequence."

In the "Disclaimer" video, Ryan Reynolds claims "Deadpool & Wolverine" is "as paper thin as a sequel to 'Battlefield Earth,'" promising a movie in which he and Hugh Jackman "beat each other senseless, make enemies with Disney," and "tell a few d**k jokes." But it's his claim that the "after-credits sequence" will be missing from the film that has caused somewhat of stir, especially since Reynolds pinpoints exactly what's wrong with this particular long-standing Marvel Studios trademark.

"If you haven't figured it out yet," Reynolds continues, "[the post-credits scene] is always just a commercial for another movie which will invariably end with a commercial for another movie." In fact, MCU movies in general have started to feel like feature-length commercials for whatever is coming next, and with too much MCU "content" being created and ultimately proving to be the company's Kryptonite, there was a heck of a lot of stuff to set up. So, this issue of simply using one piece of media to advertise the next piece of media isn't exclusive to post-credits scenes. But it's at least good to know that Reynolds and co. are aware of this issue and will hopefully be doing their utmost to ensure "Deadpool & Wolverine" stands on its own as a self-contained story — "paper thin" though it may be.

Whether Ryan Reynolds is serious about there not being a post-credits scene in "Deadpool & Wolverine," remains unclear. Deadpool creator Rob Liefield previously seemed to confirm that there would, in fact, be such a scene in the movie, replying to a scooper on X/Twitter who claimed the scene in question was "mind-blowing" by stating "He's ain't lying to you!" But whether or not the movie actually maintains this long-running MCU tradition or not is somewhat beside the point.

2024 is Marvel's best chance to fix the MCU before it's too late, and there are other positive signs that "Deadpool & Wolverine" will be the film to do it, especially since it doesn't require audiences to have seen prior Marvel movies for the plot to make sense. This latest jab at post-credits scenes is just another reminder that Reynolds' Deadpool might well be the self-aware hero the MCU needs.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" hits theaters on July 26, 2024.