Pratik Handore
The upcoming ‘Deadpool 3’ is expected to see several popular actors, including Hugh Jackman, returning to their iconic superhero roles. For months, rumors were rife that actor Ben Affleck would be among the returning faces, reprising his role as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the threequel. However, the rumors of the ‘Argo’ star return as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen were untrue, and Cinemaholic has learned that Ben Affleck will not feature in ‘Deadpool 3’ after all.
Affleck first donned the iconic Man Without Fear costume for the 2003 film ‘Daredevil’ directed by Mark Steven Johnson. The film was released under 20th Century Fox but received mixed reviews from critics and failed to deliver at the box office. The film also introduces the character of Elektra Natchios, with actress Jennifer Garner in the role. Garner later reprised her role in the 2005 spin-off film ‘Elektra’ directed by Rob Bowman, with Affleck reprising his role in a deleted cameo sequence.
Unlike Affleck’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Garner’s Elektra Natchios has been confirmed to appear in ‘Deadpool 3.’ The actress’ casting in the movie was officially announced in July 2023. However, there is no confirmation on whether Garner will be playing the same iteration of the character as the 20th Century Fox films. Nonetheless, Garner’s involvement in the project only fueled the fire of the long-gestating rumors of Affleck’s return to portraying Daredevil, a character that has become much more iconic on the screen in recent times thanks to Charlie Cox’s portrayal in the television series ‘Daredevil‘ and other MCU projects.
Affleck’s tenure as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the DCEU has reportedly wrapped up with an appearance in ‘The Flash,’ as the franchise is undergoing a massive overhaul. Therefore, the timing seemed right for Affleck to return to the Marvel side of things and reprise his role as Matt Murdock/Daredevil from the 2003 film. However, now it seems that appearance won’t come to fruition after all. Nonetheless, with the MCU’s Phase Six focusing on the Multiverse Saga, there might be room for Affleck to return down the road.
‘Deadpool 3’ sees Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as Wade Wilson/Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine. Also returning from previous films in the franchise are Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, and Stefan Kapičić as the voice of Colossus. Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen have been cast in undisclosed roles.
The film began principal photography in London, England, on May 22, 2023. Director Shawn Levy, who previously worked with Reynolds on films such as ‘Free Guy‘ and ‘The Adam Project,’ is directing the franchise’s third installment, which will also serve as the titular character’s introduction to the MCU. Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells wrote the film’s screenplay with contributions from Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy. The film was expected to be released on September 6, 2024, before moving to a November 8, 2024 release date. It is now scheduled to release on May 3, 2024. However, filming was suspended in July 2023 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which will likely affect the film’s release date again.
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