Ryan Reynolds might be teasing more Deadpool on the way

Ryan Reynolds could be teasing that more Deadpool in the works.

The actor posted a picture to his Instagram Story of the distinctive red and black mask poking out from a bag. The image is no longer available to view on Reynolds' social media, but you can check it out below.

So far, Reynolds has starred as the title character in Deadpool and Deadpool 2, and both were wildly popular. Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox threw his future into some doubt, however, considering the R-rated adventures of the Merc with the Mouth aren't so family-friendly.

However, Deadpool will eventually be making an R-rated MCU debut. "It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now, and Ryan's overseeing a script right now… It will not be [filming] this year," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said back in January of Deadpool 3. 

"Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor. We've got a number of things we've already announced that we now have to make, but it's exciting for it to have begun. Again, a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life."

The new picture of the Deadpool mask might hint that the ball is well and truly rolling on the character's entrance to the MCU, then. But, Marvel has mapped out their projects through to 2023 – including small-screen TV shows like Loki and Hawkeye, and big-screen adventures like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Marvels – and Deadpool 3 isn't currently on the release slate. 

The 2023 line-up only includes Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as confirmed movies at the moment, though, with two untitled films occupying fall slots. We could be getting more Deadpool in 2023, then, but with how early in development the threequel appears to be, that could be unlikely – these dates probably belong to Blade and Fantastic Four. Of course, there's always a chance that Deadpool might pop up in other movies or TV shows ahead of his third solo outing. 

In the meantime, the next MCU project to hit our screens will be Loki, which arrives to Disney Plus this June 9. It will be followed a month later by the long-awaited Black Widow, which debuts on the big screen and Disney Plus Premier Access on July 9. Until then, check out how to watch Marvel movies in order to get up to speed on the MCU, and find the best Disney Plus prices and deals.