Deadpool was one of those movies that ended up in development hell for years and years, leaving many to wonder what elements got yanked out like blocks in a Jenga tower in the seemingly never ending quest to convince dumb movie execs the movie was a good idea. Now, Mr. Sunday Movies (via Laughing Squid) has done a great job of laying out exactly what was done to the film.
This video bases what was left in and taken out based on a leaked copy of the Deadpool script from 2010, comparing that to what we ended up seeing on the silver screen six long years later. Surprisingly, they estimate that 70% of the movie stayed true to the leaked draft.
The stuff that got taken out? An extended version of the highway battle that ended with a motorcycle chase and a punch up on the back of one of those wide load trucks moving a house. And a version of the end battle that finished with a Raid style fight spanning from the first floor of a highrise all the way to the roof.
Both those were cut due to budget concerns, and while the movie didn’t suffer because of it, you definitely noticed the lack of major set pieces. It’s like back when they made the first Thor and you left satisfied, but also wondering why the finale happened in some podunk town in New Mexico. And that was with a $150 million budget. Asgard ain’t cheap, son! Deadpool cost peanuts compared to that: $58 million, specifically.
With all the cost cutting, it’s almost shocking that the movie came out as well as it did. But between the enthusiasm the entire crew had for making the best Deadpool movie and their willingness to break the fourth wall and laugh at some of the limitations of the budget (like a repeatedly noted absence of big name X-Men), they still managed to make one of the best superhero movies ever. Well played, guys. I look forward to learning what did and didn’t make it into Deadpool 2.
Bonus video: A bunch of the Easter eggs hidden in Deadpool.
