'Deadpool': Why fans are so excited to see the superhero on the big screen

'Deadpool' isn't coming to theaters until February, but the wisecracking superhero is already popping up in multiple trailers. With his humorous and fourth-wall-breaking style, Deadpool stands out from the superhero crowd – he's not just another brooding protagonist.

With the release of a full trailer, Deadpool is currently the superhero who's got everyone’s attention. 

Deadpool, who is portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, is a Marvel character whose film will be released this February. Those who didn’t know the wisecracking superhero already were introduced to him at this year’s Comic-Con, when the panel about the upcoming film became one of the most talked-about events of the convention. Since then, Deadpool has been at the center of a trailer for a trailer, which was released on Aug. 4 and teased the release of the full trailer, which debuted on TBS’s late-night program “Conan.” 

Deadpool’s even been popping up in other superheroes’ promotions – he appeared at the end of a trailer for the movie “Fantastic Four,” which, like the “Deadpool” movie, is being released by Twentieth Century Fox.

The superhero, whose civilian name is Wade Wilson, has the ability to heal himself, among other powers, and is skilled at martial arts and other styles of fighting. 

What’s got fans so excited? As “Deadpool” director Tim Miller said at the Comic-Con panel about the film, it seems like viewers are “ready for something new” – including the fact that “Deadpool” is very obviously a comedy. Fans have seen a lot of brooding superheroes lately, most notably director Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman.

The Marvel movie “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which was released in 2014, showed that viewers were ready for a dose of self-awareness and humor in their comic book movies. Actor Chris Pratt, best known before then for the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” starred in the film, and the movie was full of jokes about everything from “Footloose” to 1970s music. “Guardians” became the third-highest-grossing film of the year and a big hit for Marvel.

Another movie that got fans excited at Comic-Con was “Suicide Squad,” which will be released next August and switches things up by focusing on the villains rather than the heroes of the story. With the hype surrounding these films, it seems clear that comic book fans are ready for a change in their upcoming movies.