This needs to be breaking news through any media outlet; it’s news that has been under wraps for over a year now, only to become available now, potentially creating a level of fallout that could lead to pure anarchy!!! Okay. That’s a little dramatic. But how are you going to react knowing that 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios have already worked together and swapped certain super-characters?
The news comes from The Playlist, who sat in during a Q&A session following a screening of Deadpool. While Ryan Reynolds offered some laughs regarding his previous lackluster work with Green Lantern and X-Men Origins: Wolverine… a bomb was nonchalantly dropped by Deadpool screenwriter Paul Wernick.
The character Negasonic Teenage Warhead was set to be included in Deadpool from the beginning. That was never a problem considering she’s a mutant and Fox owns the rights to the X-Men. However, the minds behind Deadpool wanted to change her powers from a traditional psychic to the more explosive version we saw in the finished film. However, in order to facilitate that change, Fox needed approval from Marvel. Thus…
“Fox was forced to get the okay from Marvel Studios, initiating a superhero swap between the studios whose results will next be seen in James Gunn‘s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.” “Kurt Russell [‘s Ego the Living Planet] in the new ‘Guardians’ movie was the character that Fox swapped with Marvel to [change] Negasonic Teenage Warhead powers,” explained Wernick.”
That’s right. Ego the Living Planet was only allowed to be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 thanks to Fox wanting to give Negasonic Teenage Warhead more explosive powers. Now, this isn’t a superstar for superstar trade, but it’s like an NBA team trading a solid role player for another quality player (and every sports fan knows trades like those are what win championships).
Negasonic was a bright spot in Deadpool thanks to her disinterested, millennial approach compared to the other characters. Meanwhile, a grandiose character like Ego could be perfect in the hands of James Gunn (especially when he’s played by Kurt Russell). So, the deal seems like a win-win for both parties.
Now, you have to wonder if this could lead to bigger and better things. Fox already gave Marvel a big assist when they let the rights to characters like Daredevil lapse, allowing the Marvel/Netflix universe to take off. While the X-Men are a coalition of characters Fox will never allow in the Marvel Universe, there are others who could benefit from a trade, or joint partnership between Marvel and Fox.
Mainly, The Fantastic Four and everyone else that would come along with them. Besides the core four, you’d be able to bring The Silver Surfer, Kang the Conqueror, Galactus, and of course, Doctor Doom. If Marvel’s looking to make an impact with Phase 4, working alongside Fox to incorporate The Fantastic Four and their entourage would be the best start.
As for Fox, they should take notes from Sony and Spider-Man. There’s more money to be made by letting Marvel Studios do their thing with the characters and you can just sit at home and cash those royalty checks. So, not only would it garner tremendous nerd cred, but it would also allow Fox to keep making a profit on The Fantastic Four without subjecting anyone to another horrendous Fan4stic movie.
The best news to come from the Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Ego swap is that we now have confirmation that the two studios are working together.
While working out a deal for two minor characters seems innocuous, it’s the groundwork that could potentially lead to something bigger. Bringing a group like The Fantastic Four might be too lofty a goal, but every great journey begins with a single step. And Fox and Marvel took their first baby steps thanks to Deadpool and The Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, if we can just get Wolverine in Infinity War!!!
