Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Inspired Key Deadpool 3 Scene, Director Reveals
Shawn Levy is not only the director of Deadpool 3. He is also an avid fan of cinema, and was hugely influenced by blockbusters like Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. In a recent interview, the director elucidates just how important that film, and others like it, were to him and his latest superhero film.
Speaking to Esquire, Levy reveals that he “went to the theater again and again to see Return of the Jedi.” He talks about the scene in which Luke is hiding from Vader in the Emperor’s room, while Vader gives a speech, which ends with, “If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps your sister will.” Levy explains that the suspense he felt in theaters, as it became clear that Vader had pushed the wrong button, contrasted perfectly with the action and excitement of the lightsaber-slashing fury it sends Luke into. “The way that felt,” says Levy, “The forty seconds of stillness from the audience, then the spectacle and emotion, is seared not just in my eyeballs but in my heart.” The director calls this feeling “the essence of the blockbuster,” and it is that essence which he has tried to channel into Deadpool 3.
Levy is helming the Deadpool 3 ship, which has been at a standstill for some time due to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike. The film, which features Ryan Reynolds as the titular Merc With a Mouth and Hugh Jackman reprising his iconic role as Wolverine, has a scene which Levy calls its “Jedi moment.” He said, “I pulled up that scene of Vader and Luke on my phone and restudied how it was photographed, how it was blocked, the framing, the tempo. The keen Star Wars fan will see the shot in my Deadpool movie that was inspired by a moment that I saw in a theater decades ago. That’s a forever memory. And that’s a treasure.”
Deadpool 3 Is Highly Anticipated
Before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Deadpool 3 had garnered a good bit of buzz from some behind-the-scenes shots of Reynolds and Jackman wearing their characters’ comics-accurate costumes. Although Reynolds’ Deadpool has long had a costume that remains fairly true to the comics, his new look for the threequel features a brighter red color, along with some other exciting details. Jackman’s Wolverine, on the other hand, has long endured drab all-black costuming, and fans were abuzz at the sight of his yellow and blue costume, along with the return of Wolverine’s signature haircut.
Deadpool 3 Gets Encouraging Filming Update Amid SAG-AFTRA Strike Talks
Production for Deadpool 3 remains paused due to the strike, but it seems that January 2024 is a possible re-start date for shooting.
