Wade Wilson (film character)

Wade Wilson
X-Men film series and Marvel Cinematic Universe character
Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool in Deadpool (2016)
First appearance	X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Based on	Deadpool by Fabian Nicieza Rob Liefeld
Adapted by	Rhett Reese Paul Wernick Skip Woods[a] David Benioff[a]
Portrayed by	Ryan Reynolds Scott Adkins (Weapon XI)
In-universe information
Alias	Deadpool Weapon XI[a]
Species	Mutant
Occupation	Assassin Mercenary Soldier
Affiliation	Canadian Special Forces Team X[a] Time Variance Authority Weapon Plus X-Force X-Men
Spouse	Vanessa Carlysle (ex-fiancée)

Wade Winston Wilson, also known as Deadpool, is a character portrayed by Ryan Reynolds in 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series and later the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise produced by Marvel Studios. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, he was loosely adapted for his first appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), in which he is depicted as a member of Major William Stryker's Team X who is transformed into a genetically altered mutant killer known as Weapon XI, before being defeated by his former teammate Wolverine.

The revised timeline of the original X-Men film series in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) narratively allowed for a more faithful, rebooted iteration of the character to be depicted in Deadpool (2016). Wilson is a dishonorably discharged Special Forces operative and terminal cancer patient volunteering for an experimental treatment to awaken his latent mutant genes. It gives him a regenerative healing factor that counteracts his illness but disfigures him, resulting in him adopting the moniker "Deadpool", killing the scientist responsible and reuniting with his fiancée Vanessa Carlysle. In Deadpool 2 (2018), Wilson forms the X-Force to protect a young mutant and avert his turn towards tyranny in the distant future. Following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019, it was announced that Deadpool would be integrated within the MCU beginning with Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).

The character's portrayal in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was negatively received by both critics and fans for deviating from the source material. However, his characterization in the two Deadpool films received critical acclaim, with praise directed at Reynolds's performance and its faithfulness to the comics.
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