Kevin Feige says the Mutant Era is starting in the MCU; move aside, Multiverse Saga!

"Deadpool & Wolverine" seems to be hitting the right notes according to early reactions on social media. It's shaping up to be engaging, humorous, and packed with the gore and irreverence you'd expect from a "Deadpool" film.

Additionally, there are hints that the movie will explore some new emotional depths, especially since both characters are shown grappling with dark issues in the trailers.

After the preview screening, a press conference was held with director Shawn Levy, Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Marvel President Kevin Feige, Emma Corrin (playing “Cassandra Nova”), Matthew Macfadyen (Paradox/“Mobius M. Mobius”), and producer Wendy Jacobson, and was hosted by Rob Delany (Peter).

Everyone was very discreet and avoided revealing spoilers. However, Hugh Jackman did mention that his favorite Wolverine variants in the film are Patch and Apocalypse. 

The remainder of the press conference followed a standard pattern: the cast and producers expressed their enthusiasm about working together, discussed how "Deadpool & Wolverine" focuses on friendship, and emphasized the importance of seeing it on the big screen. Kevin Feige even described it as "the most wholesome R-rated movie ever."

One notable response came when Feige was asked about the significance of “Deadpool & Wolverine” for the future of the MCU and its potential role as a turning point for Marvel. 

Feige addressed two key points: the R-rating and the inclusion of Mutants. Regarding the R-rating, he hinted that such content might not be frequent in the future, but he didn’t provide specific details on when it might appear again.

“Every [Marvel] film is important, and there’s nothing better than a great movie for a Cinematic Universe,” he said.

“The before and after [aspect of it all]? I think a lot of people talk about the R-rating and, ‘Is every [Marvel] movie going to be R-rated after this?’ [And the answer is] of course not. But I hope every movie after this embraces its tonality the way the way ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and the way this team does.”

Does this imply that other Marvel films rumored to have an R rating, such as “Blade,” might avoid it? It’s uncertain at this point. However, Reynolds weighed in on this unprecedented Marvel moment, stating, “The R-rating is never exploited; it’s never really used just to use it,” he explained. 

“It’s just there as a facility to tell the most authentic story about these two iconic characters coming together on screen for the first time.”

In the latter part of his response, Feige discussed how “Deadpool & Wolverine” paves the way for the “X-Men” to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He hinted that the Mutant Saga might not need to wait for the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, which wraps up with “Avengers: Secret Wars,” to start.

“Also, the ‘after’ is clearly—now that we have characters from the ‘X-Men’ world, the Mutants—we haven’t had access to before,” he added. 

“So, this is the beginning of that, and every [movie] post ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ will be the Mutant era coming into the MCU.”

This is logical given that the post-credit scene in "The Marvels" already depicted Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) in an alternate universe featuring two “X-Men” characters, Beast (Kelsey Grammer) and Binary (Lashana Lynch). 

Additionally, the Russo Brothers, who might direct “Avengers: Secret Wars,” have hinted they would love to include Wolverine in the film, and it could easily happen. It’s possible that the alternate X-Men universe Monica is in also has a full team ready to be featured. 

"Deadpool & Wolverine" is set to premiere on July 29 through Disney and Marvel Studios.