Twentieth Century Fox announced on Thursday that the studio and Marvel Comics are moving ahead with the X-Men spinoff, Deadpool.
After Ryan Reynolds played Deadpool in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the spin-off has been in the development stages for years. But weeks after years-old test footage of the project leaked briefly online, it sparked new life into the possible film, setting social media ablaze with Deadpool chatter.
Reynolds who is set to reprise his role, spoke in a recent interview commenting on the leak, suggesting it helped move the process along.
“The movie has been in a state of limbo for a while. There was such an overpowering reaction to the footage, you sort of feel like, ‘Oh, so we weren’t crazy for our reasons for loving this character, for loving this role.’ It’s interesting to see the power of the Internet. It’s awe-inspiring, actually,” the actor told the Niagara Falls Review. “And it’s neat that Twitter and Facebook and Instagram can move mountains when used in the right way.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Miller is set to direct the film, while Reynolds set to star as the Marvel character. However, no deals are set.
“Deadpool” is scheduled to hit theaters on February 12, 2016.
