Confirmed: Neil Patrick Harris Taking Over Role of Deadpool

Published 23 hours ago• 2 minute read

A new Deadpool project is on the way – but don’t expect to hear Ryan Reynolds as the “merc with a mouth.”

Ryan Reynolds’ portrayal of Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool, has become a defining role in his career. First introduced in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Reynolds’ Deadpool was a far cry from the wisecracking antihero fans would come to love. It wasn’t until 2016’s Deadpool that Reynolds fully embraced the character, delivering a performance that blended humor, heart, and irreverence, making Deadpool a cultural icon and soon leading to a sequel, Deadpool 2 (2018).

Wolverine and Deadpool — Credit: Marvel Studios

In 2024, Reynolds reprised his role in Deadpool & Wolverine, marking the character’s debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film, directed by Shawn Levy, sees Deadpool teaming up with a variant of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to thwart plans to destroy Deadpool’s universe. The movie was a massive success, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.

Looking ahead, Deadpool’s integration into the MCU opens up exciting possibilities. Reynolds has expressed interest in exploring further collaborations within the MCU, potentially teaming up with the Avengers themselves in the upcoming Multiverse films Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

Deadpool with a mask is holding a gun and pointing forward in a dynamic action pose, much like Deadpool. The background is a sandy, rugged environment with some rocks and debris. — Credit: Marvel Studios

Before that day comes, however, we have another Deadpool project on the way – one that will see Neil Patrick Harris take over the lead role.

The project in question is Deadpool VR, a brand-new video game focused on the mercenary. How I Met Your Mother and A Series of Unfortunate Events alumnus Harris is taking over from Reynolds for a new story in which Deadpool is pulled into a portal to Mojoworld, where he signs a shady contract and visits multiple locations from across the Marvel universe.

Deadpool and Wolverine walking — Credit: Marvel Studios

As per developers, the gameplay blends parkour and combat, with the trailer showing the character as being able to shoot, shove, and skewer heads with swords. A fun combo.

Deadpool is famous for breaking the fourth wall, and from what’s shown in the trailer shared at Summer Game Fest, the game will be no different. Harris’s Deadpool is fully aware that he’s being controlled by a player, and even pokes fun about Spider-Man getting Insomniac as his game developer while he’s stuck with “this sh*t.”

The game – made by Twisted Pixel and Oculus Studios in collaboration with Marvel Games – will be released in late 2025 and is exclusive to Meta Quest 3 and 3S.

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