Brand Profile - Deadpool

Place your bets on Deadpool

Deadpool & Wolverine, the third instalment in Marvel’s X-rated superhero franchise about the red-suited, potty mouthed anti-hero, arrives in cinemas at the end of this month, much to the excitement of both Wade Wilson fans and stans of the iconic X-Man Wolverine, who’s back from the dead thanks to the MCU’s time travel plotline. As excitement builds for this major cinematic release, Nigel Cook, VP Brand Commercialisation and Retail at Disney Consumer Products EMEA, tells Toy World readers why the movie is expected to fuel a surge in demand for licensed Deadpool and X-Men product, and why new character Dogpool – played by ‘Britain’s ugliest dog’ – may just become the star of the show.

Since Ryan Reynolds announced in September 2022 that his iconic Deadpool character would return, accompanied by Hugh Jackman's X-Man, Wolverine - on screen for the first time since James Mangold’s Logan in 2017, which ended with the character’s death – the franchise’s adult audience has been eagerly awaiting the next instalment. The teaser trailer prompted a mountain of media attention speculating on the storyline, content and sheer level of gore, and remains the most watched teaser trailer of all time.

Deadpool & Wolverine is sure to live up to fans best (or worst) expectations. The character’s potent mix of humour and irreverence, combined with a juggernaut marketing campaign and superb ensemble cast, promise a cinematic release like no other. We fully expect the film, released on 26th July, to be every bit as R-rated as its predecessors – two of the top three highest grossing R-rated films of all time.

These key themes make Deadpool an undisputed winner among the kidult audience, particularly in the product space. Most obvious is the booming fan and collectibles space, where Deadpool’s humour and anti-hero status make the character ripe for experimentation. Funko, Hasbro and Beast Kingdom are great examples here, with existing evergreen product line bolstered by newness still to come.

Elsewhere, we continue to see appetite for Deadpool in the apparel, accessories and FMCG spaces, and there’s huge potential in home and gifting too, as demonstrated by ranges from Pyramid, Paladone and Stor.

One new breakout star of this month’s release promises to be Dogpool. Played by Britain’s ugliest dog, Peggy, and described by Ryan Reynolds as an ‘animal manifestation of Wade Wilson’, Dogpool has opened up a whole new range of product for kidult fans, with Simba’s fantastic Dogpool plush joining pet accessories from Rubies. This expansion on Rubies’ hugely popular Deadpool adult dress-up range demonstrates the strength of the franchise in this space.

It would be an understatement to say anticipation is high for Deadpool & Wolverine’s cinematic release. With the addition of Wolverine and Dogpool, this next instalment is sure to be every bit as raucous as fans are hoping. There’s also ample opportunity to leverage the growing buzz by driving appetite for evergreen Wolverine and new X-Men ‘97 product.

The creativity of the Deadpool franchise and nature of the main character have allowed us to be more adventurous and continue to open up exciting new avenues in the kidult product space. And as always with Deadpool, continue to expect the unexpected.