With the success of superhero movies such as Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Ant-Man,” the image of what an ideal
hero should be seems to be cemented in place: strong, righteous and strangely good at evading the bad guys.
However, the upcoming movie “Deadpool,” in theaters Feb. 12, features a character that breaks all of these stereotypes. The movie covers the story of mercenary Wade Wilson and his life after undergoing an experiment that leaves him with disfigured skin, accelerated healing and an unstable mind.

“(Deadpool) is a cool character. He’s really interesting and unique,” Crum said. “The cool thing about him is that he’s known for breaking the fourth wall, which means he’ll talk to you like he knows he’s in a comic.”

First introduced to Marvel Comics in 1991, Deadpool was originally depicted as a supervillain based off of DCComics’ Deathstroke, also known as Slade Wilson; even Deadpool’s civilian name, Wilson, is a reference to Deathstrok. However, as Deadpool gained popularity beyond his cult-like following, writer Joe Kelly soon turned the character into an anti-hero, giving him a dark and sometimes slapstick sense of humor.
According to Michael “Mike” Costello, president of Downtown Comics, the mental instability of the character is a key characteristic of being an anti-hero and is theroot of most of his comedic, caricature-like personality. Costello said the fact that the narrator, Deadpool, doesn’t even quite understand his own mental condition makes it more interesting for.

“(Deadpool’s) insanity allows him to know that he’s in a comic book and that he’s in a fantasy world where nothing really matters,” Costello said. “It could be that he’s insane because he knows this, or he knows this because he’s insane.”
According to senior Danielle Aulby, breaking the fourth wall are concepts that few comic book writers utilize. Although other characters in the Marvel Universe attempt to copy this form of expression, she said the quality is not a core part of the character and is rarely shown in movie adaptations.

According to Aulby, Deadpool’s role as a prominent anti-hero makes him more unique and causes both his storyline and personality to be distinctly different from any other comic book characters’.

“(Deadpool’s) very different because he is very much an anti-hero, which is kind of my favorite type of hero,” Aulby said. “He’s obviously very funny too, so that’s kind of a big part of it. He’s also definitely got a darker tone.”

Dubbed the “Merc with a Mouth,” Deadpool is known for his talkative nature in the comics. The character is also known for his vulgar sense of humor, explicit dialogue and use of sarcasm; therefore, according to Costello, tends to appeal to a younger demographic.

“You have a lot of young teenagers (that like Deadpool) because of that humor and the fact that he makes really dumb jokes,” Costello said. “You’ve got cool swords and cool guns, so it’s just that kind of thing that young boys especially are going to be into.”

The humor and violence in this movie has caused “Deadpool” to be rated R. This decision was fully supported by actor Ryan Reynolds, who plays Wilson, and many fans of the franchise. According to Aulby, however, for 20th Century Fox, there are some consequences associated with producing an R-rated Marvel movie.

However, “Deadpool” is not the first comic-to-screen adaptation that is R-rated. Although the movie will feature graphic fight scenes, explicit dialogue and risque settings, previous comic based movies such as “The Punisher” and “Blade” have also featured this type of vulgarity.

According to Costello, despite not being the first, “Deadpool” still stands out from its other R-rated counterparts. Previous comics did not have the same amount of popularity as “Deadpool,” Costello said. This may raise concern from parents who may not want their children to watch such a movie, and therefore not allow them to watch it in theaters.

“There are still going to be kids that are able to see it because their parents will let them, but you’ll see a more mature audience,” Crum said.

According to Costello, the release of the movie may actually cause a jump in sales of the comics. He said the fact that Deadpool, a character who once had a cult-like following, is now one of the most popular characters in the Marvel franchise, exposes a different audience to the story line and may create even more fans.

Like Aulby, Crum believes that overall viewership will not change. He said even with the loss of younger viewers in theaters, the R-rating may also cause an increase in interest from other audiences. Since Deadpool is not your typical hero, Crum said, the movie may be a better fit for those who don’t enjoy the usual comic book movie and want something away from the norm.

“It’s different from any other superhero movie. If you’re looking for something new to watch that’s different, then I think (‘Deadpool’) would be a good fit,” Crum said. “Deadpool is a big name in the ‘X-Men’ area of Marvel, so I think it will bring a lot of people into comics too.”