"It goes without saying."
An expression you use when something is so painfully obvious
that it shouldn’t require any explanation. For the record, this
article should fall under that umbrella.
And yet, here we are listening to a number of supposedly
intelligent people talking about what a great pairing Quentin
Tarantino and Deadpool would be. Every tweet promoting this idea
makes me wince. Every social media mention stirs some bile. Comic
book movies are out of control. They’re swallowing up every ounce
of creative real estate. Multiplying in our multiplexes, taking
over entire networks and streaming services. And now there are
those who believe our most gifted auteurs should waste their
notable talents on sequels for comic book adaptations.
I liked Deadpool. It was a fun movie with a charismatic cast.
Ryan Reynolds and Fox rolled the dice on what many saw as a risky
proposition and scored big. No doubt the studio has big plans for
the second Deadpool movie. With the origin story out of the way
there’s room to tell a big, insane ‘Merc with a Mouth’ story. Tim
Miller left the project over ‘creative differences’ and now the
Director’s chair is wide open. Apparently fans think there’s no one
better suited for this project than Quentin Tarantino.
Because… why exactly?
Maybe it’s because how frequently Tarantino steps into the
director’s chair for major studio franchises. Or maybe it’s because
Tarantino is so fond of sequels. Plus, it seems pretty obvious that
Tarantino rarely has anything in the pipeline and is just waiting
by the phone for a creative opportunity to present itself. Or, the
more likely scenario is that the people floating this idea are high
on some combination of bath salts and yellow jackets and are out of
their damn minds.
Seriously? Who wants this? Are there people out there really
rooting for an American original like Quentin Tarantino to step in
and direct a slight variation on the comic book adaptation? Who are
these twisted souls who want to see Tarantino in this role? I
realize there are a lot of Deadpool fans and with the success of
the feature film there are even more. But Tarantino would be wasted
doing a Deadpool movie.
The idea of a Tarantino directed Deadpool movie is the kind of
proposition created by fans who don’t understand the creative
process and how the studio movie making system works. It’s the
product of film fans who believe QT’s blend of humor and violence
would be a perfect fit for Wade Wilson’s next adventure. Studios
don’t want a strong directorial voice like Tarantino to help shape
their fledgling franchise. They want someone who can toe the line
and not end up in a state of perpetual friction with the studio and
their leading man/producer Ryan Reynolds. Tarantino is a guy who
devotes a ridiculous amount of time and obsesses over every single
detail. He wants someone to write a check and get out-of-the-way.
That is not something you’re going to get from Fox who currently
has dollar signs where their eye sockets are when they think about
the untold billions a handful of successful Deadpool movies could
bring in and would be highly irritated by the idea of handing over
whatever tenuous grasp they have on the reigns.
I get it kids. You like Tarantino and you like Deadpool, but
this is a terrible idea. Not only because of the sheer ludicrous
level of incredulity in the inherent thought, but because the
pairing would be a muddy mix. To be fair, Deadpool 2 doesn’t need
Tarantino either. The first film was highly successful with an
unknown director who was passionate about the material. That’s the
kind of talent Fox and the franchise should be circling.
I’m not sure why people are treating Tarantino like Colin
Trevorrow, Rian Johnson, or Jon Watts. As if he’s some up and
coming independent darling just waiting to be swept off his feet by
a ginormous franchise. This is Quentin Fucking Tarantino. A guy who
has made some of the most amazing feature films of the past 25
years.