Shawn Levy is no novice when it comes to rumors around his projects. Years on 含羞草研究社淪tranger Things含羞草研究社� taught him how to tune out the noise.

Yet even he含羞草研究社檚 found himself astonished by the sheer volume of speculation around 含羞草研究社淒eadpool & Wolverine.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭he rumors around this movie are overwhelming,含羞草研究社� Levy told The Associated Press earlier this year. 含羞草研究社淏ut so is the anticipation, which is a nice situation.含羞草研究社�

Anticipation might be an understatement for a movie that is poised to be when it opens on Thursday.

The , which aired during the Super Bowl, was viewed a record 365 million times online in its first 24 hours. The second broke another record 含羞草研究社� for the most 含羞草研究社淔-bombs含羞草研究社� in the MCU (six in less than three minutes).

Much of that excitement is because this film marks the first time Ryan Reynolds含羞草研究社� foul-mouthed Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman含羞草研究社檚 Wolverine are being folded into Kevin Feige含羞草研究社檚 Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both properties existed previously under the 21st Century Fox banner.

When Disney acquired the studio含羞草研究社檚 , Wolverine had already died in 含羞草研究社淟ogan,含羞草研究社� a third 含羞草研究社淒eadpool含羞草研究社� was in development and Marvel was still firmly in the PG-13 business, a rating that allows for only one F-bomb.

On a call with investors as the deal was going through, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger was already reassuring people that a Disney Deadpool would remain R-rated. Soon after, Reynolds also posted a photo on social media showing his character with Mickey Mouse ears on a yellow school bus labeled 含羞草研究社淒isney.含羞草研究社� The meta humor, it seemed, was also firmly intact.

But what would the story be? Levy was announced as the film含羞草研究社檚 director in early 2022, coming in as a fan of Reynolds含羞草研究社� snarky tone and fourth wall breaking.

含羞草研究社淭here was no way I was going to reinvent a wheel, a tonal wheel, that works so beautifully,含羞草研究社� Levy said. 含羞草研究社淏oth Disney and Marvel, up and down the food chain, empowered Ryan and I to make this movie exactly as we dreamed.含羞草研究社�

WAIT, HOW IS WOLVERINE HERE?

Things really started to really take shape when Jackman signed on that fall, however. It would mark the first time that the characters would be together in a movie since 2009含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淴-Men Origins: Wolverine.含羞草研究社� In the years since, Reynolds and Jackman have staged a very tongue in cheek, very funny 含羞草研究社渇eud含羞草研究社� with one another on social media, dancing around the idea of sharing the big screen again.

The dream seemed to have died after 含羞草研究社淟ogan含羞草研究社� and Jackman含羞草研究社檚 retirement as Wolverine. But death is never exactly final in the multiverse, and, they promised, this film would not interfere with 含羞草研究社淟ogan.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a really interesting duo,含羞草研究社� Levy said. 含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e built for huge conflict with each other because they含羞草研究社檙e so different individually. But that makes for a very interesting story, because the best two hander stories, whether it含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社楳idnight Run含羞草研究社� or 含羞草研究社�48 Hours含羞草研究社� or 含羞草研究社楶lanes, Trains and Automobiles,含羞草研究社� yes, it含羞草研究社檚 littered with conflict. But it含羞草研究社檚 ultimately about something more as well and that含羞草研究社檚 what audiences will see.含羞草研究社�

The dynamic was also fueled by the real-life friendship between Levy, Jackman and Reynolds that goes back a decade off screen and includes films like 含羞草研究社淔ree Guy含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淩eal Steel.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭he real benefit of being friends off set is that you can try crazy stuff without fear of falling. Because some of it won含羞草研究社檛 work and that will be momentarily embarrassing, but if you含羞草研究社檙e among friends, it含羞草研究社檚 okay to make a fool of yourself in the pursuit of something surprising and something unexpected,含羞草研究社� Levy said. 含羞草研究社淭his movie is filled with moments, both comedic and character based, that we didn含羞草研究社檛 expect and were the result of a freedom that that came from being friends.含羞草研究社�

At the New York premiere Monday, Jackman and Reynolds were definitely in friend mode, praising one another with no snark.

含羞草研究社�(Ryan含羞草研究社檚) exactly as you think,含羞草研究社� Jackman said. 含羞草研究社淎n extraordinary man. Generous, humble brilliant and a great friend.含羞草研究社�

Reynolds added that Jackman was 含羞草研究社渟omeone who operated in a completely different way, did everything through the prism of genuine kindness, diligence, hard work. And that was modeled to me in 2008 when we did our first movie together. And we含羞草研究社檝e been best buddies ever since.含羞草研究社�

IT含羞草研究社橲 SUMMER. NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED.

The Marvel multiverse has gotten a bit overwhelming in recent years for the more casual fans who may have seen most of the films but only dabbled in the Disney+ offerings that regularly introduce new concepts and characters that eventually find their way into the films.

含羞草研究社淒eadpool & Wolverine,含羞草研究社� for instance, uses the Time Variance Authority (TVA) 含羞草研究社� a major part of 含羞草研究社淟oki含羞草研究社� but new to the movies 含羞草研究社� to help get Deadpool to the MCU. But Levy promises that enjoyment of 含羞草研究社淒eadpool & Wolverine含羞草研究社� requires no bingeing or studying beforehand.

含羞草研究社淚 was a good student in school. I含羞草研究社檒l do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies,含羞草研究社� Levy said.

含羞草研究社淚 very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn含羞草研究社檛 want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.含羞草研究社�

OH, RIGHT, THE MOVIE含羞草研究社�

So, what about what含羞草研究社檚 IN the film? Well, that含羞草研究社檚 something that Levy won含羞草研究社檛 really talk about. Until Monday含羞草研究社檚 premiere, reporters were only allowed to see 40 minutes; Soon the floodgates will open and spoilers will take over social media.

But 含羞草研究社淒eadpool & Wolverine含羞草研究社� hasn含羞草研究社檛 needed to tease out plotlines to stoke enthusiasm. The fans are already there and ready, whether or not Taylor Swift is involved (by all accounts, she含羞草研究社檚 not).

Marvel has had some Phase 5 bumps, with films like 含羞草研究社淭he Marvels含羞草研究社� and others underwhelming critics. And outside of the MCU, the industry is feeling the pains of so-called 含羞草研究社渟uperhero fatigue含羞草研究社� that has sent DC . But 含羞草研究社淒eadpool & Wolverine含羞草研究社� is not to be underestimated.

Critics have been largely positive too. that the film 含羞草研究社渓eans into its genre more than the franchise含羞草研究社檚 first two movies.含羞草研究社� She cautions that the plot starts to feel a little aimless toward the end, but that, 含羞草研究社淭he bloody but comedic final fight scene 含羞草研究社� is enough to perk viewers back up for the last act, solidifying the film含羞草研究社檚 identity as a fun, generally well-made summer movie.含羞草研究社�

And it could be the first MCU movie since 含羞草研究社淪pider-Man: No Way Home含羞草研究社� to crack $1 billion, which would also put it in the running to become the highest grossing R-rated film of all time. That title currently belongs to 含羞草研究社淛oker含羞草研究社� with its $1.08 billion. It含羞草研究社檚 currently tracking to open around $160 million, but some bullish analysts are forecasting as high as $200 million. To beat 含羞草研究社淏arbie含羞草研究社檚含羞草研究社� opening last year, it has to surpass $162 million.

含羞草研究社淎udiences are hungry for a great time at the movies,含羞草研究社� Levy said. 含羞草研究社淭hey want to be delighted, transported and entertained. And when they are given that, whether it含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社楤arbie,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社極ppenheimer含羞草研究社� or any number of other recent movies, they show up.含羞草研究社�

He added: 含羞草研究社淭he movie is built for audience delight. I think that (they含羞草研究社檙e) in for a very fun ride.含羞草研究社�