Once Upon a Deadpool

An offbeat, tongue in cheek detour places Deadpool in a bedtime story being read to Fred Savage. He delivers a PG-13 retelling of Deadpool 2, wrapped in a fairy tale veneer and filled with rapid quips and self aware gags. The frame leans into a Princess Bride style whimsy while keeping the merc with a mouth’s swagger and high energy action, just at a tamer volume. The cast remains familiar with Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, Josh Brolin as Cable, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Julian Dennison as Firefist, and Zazie Beetz as Domino. The result is a brisk, chaotic laugh ride that nods to fans without diving into the harsher edges of the original, offering accessible comic relief with affection.

Directed by David Leitch, the film arrived in 2018 as a PG-13 reworking of Deadpool 2 built around the Deadpool character created by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Ryan Reynolds; it uses a fairy tale vibe to soften the edge while preserving the franchise’s irreverent spirit.

The box office for Once Upon a Deadpool came in around 51.3 million, a modest figure that reflected its niche appeal and the limited run style of the release rather than a full scale blockbuster.

Cultural impact isn’t huge but the movie reinforced Deadpool’s meta humor and willingness to bend genre norms. The Fred Savage framing plus the Princess Bride echo sparked discussion about how family friendly adaptations can coexist with the character’s signature bravado, creating a memorable, if playful, cross pollination.

Reception and themes focus on balancing warmth with sarcasm. Critics noted the lighter tone and self aware approach while still delivering the franchise’s zest for banter and bravado. The movie uses humor to probe restraint, friendship, and responsibility without losing Deadpool’s signature mischief.