Entertainment

Marvel's 'Deadpool' Antihero Is Unlike Any Other

by Jennifer Still

If you're not a big comic book fan, chances are you may not have ever come across Deadpool. The titular antihero, created by Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, was seen on the big screen only once in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, Ryan Reynolds will soon be bringing the former supervillain to life in a big way when Deadpool hits theatres in 2016. If that's not exciting enough, Reynolds and director Tim Miller recently revealed something else about the character: Deadpool may actually be pansexual. This is big news in many ways, not least because it would make him the first of his kind in the Marvel universe. Pretty awesome, if you ask me.

In an interview with Collider, Miller expressed his enthusiasm for making Deadpool pansexual, while Reynolds promised that the film would contain some level of sexuality, which could make things doubly interesting. "There is some sexuality in this movie for sure," he teased. "You kinda think you have moments when you’re shooting where you think, 'This is, uh, a little excessive. This is a comic book movie. Are we gonna get away with this?' But so far so good. Studio hasn’t crushed us with anything." Well, that sounds hopeful!

Of course, his potential pansexuality isn't necessary something that should become a focus of Deadpool's character or his upcoming movie. No matter who we love, our sexuality doesn't define us in our day-to-day lives. We don't wake up and base our days around the people we're attracted to, but it's definitely an important part of our identities, and being able to be honest about that identity is a must. Making Deadpool openly pansexual may seem like a small detail, but it's an incredibly rare and brave one, and a welcome one, as well. Being the first of your kind makes you an example and someone worth looking up to. Just imagine how many kids will feel comforted knowing that there's someone like them out there doing something big, regardless of being different.

Hopefully, Deadpool will lead the way for more and more comic book heroes with alternative sexualities, genders, and races. After all, variety is the spice of life, and it's 2015 — the world is made up of beautiful people with differences that make humanity worth celebrating. It's about time our entertainment started to reflect that, and Deadpool is a good place to start.