Deadpool & Wolverine director says leaks were worth it to shoot on practical sets

Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy says the leaks were worth it for the opportunity to shoot on practical sets.

Marvel movies are typically filmed under a shroud of intense secrecy, but leaks do happen, particularly when the shooting occurs outside the safety of the studio. We saw that in a big way when Deadpool & Wolverine started shooting in London last year, and the paparazzi were responsible for plenty of leaks. This even led director Shawn Levy to drop the first photo of Deadpool and Wolverine together before the paparazzi had the chance. However, Levy told Entertainment Weekly that these leaks were worth it for the ability to film on practical sets outdoors.

“It’s been really challenging because, long before our first day of shooting, Ryan and I, with [Marvel President] Kevin Feige’s blessing, made a decision as producers to have this movie look and shoot different than most other MCU movies,” Levy said. “That meant limited sound stages, limited green screen, and way, way more practical scenes shot in real-world exterior locations.“

Levy continued, “With that decision came risk, and that risk was illustrated on day 1, shooting in a quarry where a phalanx of paparazzi was perched up above on a hillside. That’s the price we paid for wanting a movie that felt grounded and real. And I will tell you, that’s a price we’re comfortable paying when it comes to some of the secrets and surprises in the movie.“

Despite the leaks, there are still plenty of secrets left to be found in Deadpool & Wolverine. The film is poised to be a big return to form for Marvel, particularly at the box office, where the film is predicted to debut with a $360 million global opening. Our own Chris Bumbray had a lot of fun with the movie, saying the film is a “rock ‘em, sock ‘em thrill ride that delivers fans exactly the movie they wanted to see, with nary a message to be found amidst all the charred, sliced and diced corpses our heroes leave in their wake. It’s glorious fun.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s spoiler-free review right here before the film hits theaters on July 26th.