“Don’t f*ck it up”: X-Men ’97 Creator Has a Stern Warning For Ryan Reynolds as He Attempts to Rescue MCU With Hugh Jackman

X-Men ’97 has been a success for Marvel Studios during a period when they struggled on the film side of affairs. The animated series which serves as a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series has given fans a taste of what the MCU could be like when the mutants are fully integrated into the shared universe.

Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine is set to do the same for the MCU, by giving viewers a teaser of the greater influx of mutants in the future. As a result, the film’s success is key for Marvel to return to their blockbuster ways. Recently, X-Men ’97 creator Beau DeMayo has fired a fair warning to Reynolds over social media ahead of the film’s release, and here is what he had to say.

X-Men ’97 Creator Beau DeMayo Passes the Baton to Ryan Reynolds With a Stern Warning

Deadpool & Wolverine starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in the titular roles recently blew away fans with its first full trailer and also revealed a new poster. It generated plenty of online hype and positivity for the film that will see the two titular heroes joining forces to save the world from an unforeseen threat.

X-Men ’97 creator Beau DeMayo reacted to the film’s poster on social media and had the following to say.

Passing you the baton @VancityReynolds . In the words of Ru… https://t.co/vdtExClave pic.twitter.com/eQxv8bZbzI

— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) April 22, 2024

Considering how X-Men ’97 has laid the foundation for the MCU to properly introduce the mutant kind, DeMayo’s NSFW warning seems fair. At the same time, some fans online speculated that the Wolverine who appears in the film is the same version as the X-Men ’97 character.

One X user theorized that the animated series will end with a mutant massacre that kills all the mutants except Wolverine. The trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine has already established that the film’s Wolverine variant failed to save his friends, but the possibility is less likely since the animated series has been renewed for a second season.

Can Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine Really Save the MCU?

Irrespective of whether X-Men ’97 is connected to Deadpool & Wolverine, the film has a lot riding on its shoulders. In the recent past, the MCU has delivered back-to-back box office failures such as The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The critical and fan reaction to these Phase 5 projects has also been poor, to say the least.

Meanwhile, Reynolds’ Deadpool has been billed as Marvel Jesus with the expectation that the genuine hype surrounding Deadpool’s MCU debut and Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine will translate into a blockbuster for the struggling studio. As a result, the success of Deadpool & Wolverine could save the MCU from its slump and reinvigorate interest in the franchise.

At the same time, X-Men and by extension, the mutants are fan-favorite comic book characters fans have clamored to see in the MCU. Therefore, Deadpool & Wolverine will serve as a soft test of the MCU’s ability to handle the mutants and their storylines. Hence, the stakes are sky-high for the film, making DeMayo’s warning to Ryan Reynolds all the more urgent and poignant.

X-Men ’97 is streaming on Disney+ and Deadpool & Wolverine releases theatrically on July 26, 2024.