The Meta-Mercenary Unmasked
If you’ve ever wanted a superhero who refuses to play by the rules, look no further than the red-suited chaos agent known as Deadpool. While most heroes are busy being stoic and saving the world, Wade Wilson is likely making a joke about the very comic book panels he’s standing in. With that in mind, here are 20 things you should know about the Merc with a Mouth.
1. Origins as a Parody
You might find it funny that Deadpool actually started as a tongue-in-cheek reference to a DC Comics villain named Deathstroke. His creators even leaned into the joke by giving him the civilian name Wade Wilson, which is a clear play on Deathstroke’s real name, Slade Wilson. What began as a simple homage quickly took on a life of its own.
2. Breaking the Fourth Wall
One of his most famous traits is his "comic awareness,” which basically means he knows he’s a comic book character. Expect Deadpool to break the fourth wall every chance he gets and address the audience or the people writing his current comic.
3. A Healing Factor on Overdrive
Deadpool can regenerate from anything. You name it, and Deadpool can come back from it thanks to his healing factor. He even got this mutation from Wolverine when scientists spliced his DNA into Deadpool during medical experiments to heal his illness.
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4. The Famous Yellow Speech Bubbles
In the comic books, his dialogue is traditionally presented in yellow speech bubbles to signify that his voice sounds distinct from everyone else. Some writers have described his voice as sounding like "gasoline-soaked gravel," which fits his rough-around-the-edges personality perfectly.
5. Proudly Canadian
Just like his actor, Wade Wilson is proudly Canadian and loves to reference it. He often wears Canadian-themed apparel and makes jokes about Canadians being nice. It’s always fun to watch Deadpool represent his hometown whenever he gets the chance!
6. A Very Unlikely Bromance
Despite his obnoxious behavior, Deadpool is known to have a way-too-committed bromance with Spider-Man. He often jokes about Spider-Man being his little brother or unwilling best friend, though Peter usually finds him draining.
7. The Chimichanga Obsession
We all know Deadpool loves to scream “chimichanga” constantly, but he surprisingly doesn’t eat that many of them. Deadpool actually revealed that he loves the way the word sounds coming out of his mouth. It’s his unique way of showing how cool he thinks he is, I guess.
8. Fluent in Many Languages
While he mostly uses his mouth for jokes, he’s actually an incredibly skilled linguist who can speak multiple languages fluently. His mercenary work has taken him all over the globe, so he’s picked up everything from Japanese to German along the way.
9. Cursed with Immortality
At one point in the comics, the villainous Thanos grew so jealous of Deadpool’s relationship with the literal embodiment of the afterlife that he cursed him. The curse prevented Wade from ever passing away, ensuring he could never truly be with his supernatural love interest.
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10. Ryan Reynolds Was a Fan First
Before Deadpool was a thing, Ryan Reynolds was one of the film’s biggest supporters and campaigned for it heavily. After connecting with the character so much, he famously leaked test footage to help get the movie greenlit. Thank you, Ryan Reynolds.
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11. The Deadpool Corps
You read that right. Not only is there more than one Deadpool, but they all join forces as “The Deadpool Corps.” This team of multidimensional Deadpool variations includes Lady Deadpool, Headpool (a zombie floating head), and Dogpool.
12. Fear of Cows
Deadpool is fearless in almost every situation, but he has one strange and inexplicable fear of cows. He describes them as creepy and soulless, even going as far as to say they’re waiting for their chance to take over.
13. A Skilled Artist
Deadpool loves to make comics within his comic books about his own adventures. He uses this skill to mock his enemies or describe his often complex plans during missions. He’s actually quite talented when it comes to drawing these mini-comics.
14. He’s a Girl Dad
Deadpool has a daughter that he adores named Eleanor. He often distances himself from her to keep her out of harm’s way because of his job, but she still means the world to him.
15. The "Dead Pool" Name
His codename actually comes from a betting pool run by the inmates at the experimental facility he was at. The prisoners would bet on who was most likely to pass away next during the cruel procedures they were forced to endure. Since Wade beat the impossible odds of survival, he took the name "Deadpool" as a dark badge of honor.
16. Idolizing Captain America
You wouldn’t think that Deadpool idolizes anyone, but his number one hero is Captain America. Deadpool looked up to Steve Rogers growing up and still sees him as a father figure today. Captain America isn’t too fond of Wade’s tendencies.
17. The Inner Voices
Deadpool used to have two inner voices depicted by two different colors of caption boxes. One voice was serious and trying to help him think logically, while the other voice craved chaos and wanted to joke around.
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18. Love for Bea Arthur
Deadpool has a huge obsession with Bea Arthur. He’s referenced her many times in the comics as his favorite Golden Girls character. Deadpool even wore a Bea Arthur shirt in the first movie.
19. An Expert at Distraction
Deadpool’s number one strategy in combat is to taunt. His biggest strength is his ability not to stop talking during a fight. This vents his opponents until they foolishly attack him, and he can counter.
20. Pansexual Representative
Writers have confirmed that Deadpool is pansexual, meaning he’s open to relationships with people regardless of their gender identity. This fluid nature fits perfectly with his open-minded view of the world around him.
