deadpool is pansexual. deal with it.
fabian nicieza, look away because i’m detailing/defending deadpool’s queerness.
deadpool has been depicted in text as queer for decades through subtext and coding and explicitly confirmed out of text as queer since almost a decade ago. and when i say queer, i mean both sexuality and gender wise. it’s all there, if you care to pay attention and acknowledge it for what it is.
while deadpool co-creator fabian nicieza would object to this (“anyone who writes such an extended column trying to prove deadpool’s sexuality doesn’t understand deadpool’s sexuality”), i don’t give a fuck because his viewpoint, quite frankly, is garbage. queer people should be able to write about and analyze queer characters, especially those who regularly have their queerness denied, without the creators of said characters publicly denigrating them for it and saying it means they ~just don’t get it.
deadpool is important to me as a pansexual character because he was the first canonically pansexual character that i knew of. one of my first blog posts in 2017 was about people saying his pansexuality doesn’t count as queer representation. i know other queer people understand what it’s like to not have any canon representation to turn to, to see yourself in, to feel represented by, so i can’t understand why even fellow queer people would try to argue that deadpool isn’t really queer or isn’t queer in the right way or doesn’t count or isn’t good representation, when for a lot of people, he’s the only canon pansexual character they can name. for people, queer or not, to diminish the importance that can have is incredibly ignorant and hurtful.
plus, the arguments made for why deadpool isn’t really queer don’t hold up, anyways.
probably the most common argument for deadpool not really being queer is that he hasn’t been with men on page/screen. this often comes from queer people, which is sad considering how queerphobic it is. queer characters do not have to date or have sex with someone of their own gender to “prove” their queerness and same gender relationships are not a requirement to be queer. there are many ways to be queer, therefore there isn’t one way of representing queerness. if people are so concerned with accurately representing pansexuality, why do they only want deadpool to be with a man? why not someone who’s nonbinary? genderqueer? agender? for these people it’s simply about prioritizing same gender relationships as the be all end all of queer representation.
there’s nothing wrong with wanting deadpool to have a boyfriend or be with men in and of itself, just don’t use the lack thereof to negate his pansexuality, because again, same gender relationships don’t define pansexuality or queerness. this argument also doesn’t exist in a vacuum. real queer people have their sexualities questioned due to current or past relationships or the lack thereof, and you’re naive if you don’t think justifying it when it’s characters doesn’t have consequences for real people.
that said, let’s take a look at who deadpool has been involved with. he was in love with/had a relationship with copycat, whom he kissed while she was shifted as a man (deadpool #45, 2000). he was in love with/had a relationship with death, a cosmic entity who while being genderless, usually takes the form of a (skeletal) woman and is referred to as such, but has also taken the (skeletal) form of a man and been referred to as such (conan the barbarian #3, 1971; journey into mystery #2, 1972; dracula lives #9, 1974; classic x-men #43, 1990; excalibur #63, 1993; deadpool #15, 2009; death of wolverine #4, 2014). deadpool’s “other hollywood ending” is him waking in bed with iceman, both of them getting dressed, being affectionate and happy with one another, and then taking off with the avengers, deadpool on iceman’s shoulders making fun of “assemble” (deadpool: the end, 2020).
deadpool kisses a giant bull-horned alien and rests his head on the alien’s chest with heart eyes (deadpool #41, 2000), he’s pleased about accidentally marrying an alien (deadpool #33, 2011), and he’s attracted to and brings home beatrice, a bearded lady (deadpool team-up #897, 2010). let me be clear: these specific examples aren’t indicative of pansexuality or queerness (i know all too well how annoying and insulting it is that people think pansexuality translates, even in fiction, to sleeping with aliens, such as donald glover’s response to lando calrissian being pansexual, “how could you not be pansexual in space? there’s so many things to have sex with. it’s anything. that thing is literally a blob.”), they just show deadpool’s openness regarding his partners, that his interests don’t lie solely in conventional gender conforming women. if deadpool were a “straight dude bro,” if you will, that would be reflected in him not just being attracted solely to women, but a certain type of woman.
another common argument is claiming any indication of attraction to men or not being straight is just a joke. now, once could be a joke, but repeatedly over decades? constantly using known romantic and queer related terms and phrases to reference deadpool’s relationships with men? you have to stop and wonder if there’s a little something deeper there. besides, it’s literally canon that deadpool is pansexual. you can’t tell people they’re wrong for interpreting the flirtation with men of a canonically pansexual character as having truth to it. (the times when deadpool is joking around or trying to distract someone doesn’t mean he’s always joking or distracting, or that the jokes or distractions aren’t based in some kind of truth.)
an argument that is so very blatantly untrue is deadpool only flirts with men to distract them while fighting. his attraction to men isn’t even always intentionally expressed out loud to that person, let alone only used as a fighting tactic with them. first, he has done the distraction flirting with women, too (x-force #11, 1992; deadpool: circle chase #3, 1993; deadpool #6, 1997; deadpool #27, 1997; deadpool #39, 2000; deadpool #45, 2000; gambit #18, 2000; cable & deadpool #30, 2006; deadpool vol. 2 #9, 2009; thunderbolts #131, 2009; deadpool vol. 4 #9, 2009; hulk vol. 2 #16, 2009), does that mean his attraction to women isn’t genuine? second, he flirts with and makes passes/suggestive comments at men in non-combative contexts (deadpool team up #1, 1998; deadpool #45, 2000; wolverine/deadpool: the decoy #1, 2011; avenging spider-man #12, 2012; all-new x-men #16, 2013; defenders #7, 2017; spider-man/deadpool #18, 2017; deadpool 2, 2018).
deadpool’s attraction to men isn’t always a fighting tactic, sometimes it’s expressed in his musings/narrative (deadpool #37, 2000; deadpool #55, 2001; cable & deadpool #16, 2005; spider-man/deadpool #4, 2016; deadpool & cable: split second #5, 2016; spider-man/deadpool #4, 2016; spider-man/deadpool #1.mu, 2017; deadpool: the end, 2020), about celebrities (deadpool #57, 2001; cable & deadpool #12, 2005; cable & deadpool #20, 2005; cable & deadpool #37, 2007), in a casual conversation (cable & deadpool #20, 2005; deadpool: paws, 2015; spider-man/deadpool #1, 2016), terms of endearment/attraction (x-force #11, 1992; nomad #4, 1992; secret defenders #15, 1994; deadpool #6, 1997; deadpool #9, 1997; deadpool #37, 2000; cable & deadpool #4, 2004; cable & deadpool #20, 2005; cable & deadpool #29, 2006; cable & deadpool #49, 2008; uncanny x-force #8, 2011; deadpool #10, 2013), or accidental and often followed with “did i say that out loud?” (cable & deadpool #12, 2005; cable & deadpool #22, 2005; cable & deadpool #49, 2008; deadpool team-up #887, 2010).
there are several direct references to deadpool “swinging both ways” or similar phrases (x-force #56, 1996; marvel universe vs. the punisher #4, 2010; prelude to deadpool corps #4, 2010; deadpool #7, 2013). in typical deadpool meta fashion, he thinks “wonder if that means anything to the themes and subtext of the story?” when his first thought upon entering a new world was of cable (cable & deadpool #16, 2005). deadpool mentions “don’t ask, don’t tell” in reference to his relationship with cable (cable & deadpool #10, 2004). deadpool asks a girl “who’s got an index finger and made out with your boyfriend last night? this-” while holding up his index finger (avenging spider-man #12, 2012).
the cable & deadpool run specifically has a lot of repeated comments from deadpool, cable, and other characters about deadpool and cable’s relationship not being very heterosexual, beyond the ones already mentioned, such as deadpool’s “deepest, darkest desire” turning out to be him rubbing suntan lotion on cable (cable & deadpool #20, 2005), which is referenced in subsequent issues (cable & deadpool #21 & #22, 2005). deadpool romanticizes his friendships with men (such as weasel, spider-man, and cable) by referring to them as lovers/partners (deadpool #10, 2013; deadpool & cable: split second #6, 2016; spider-man/deadpool #1.mu, 2017; spider-man/deadpool #37, 2018), their fallouts as a breakup/divorce (cable & deadpool #23, 2005; cable & deadpool #33, 2006; cable & deadpool #35, 2006), their time together as dates (spider-man/deadpool #3, 2016), using the romantic line “you had me at hello” (cable & deadpool #41, 2007), doing classic romantic poses with them (deadpool: too soon?, 2016), and describing their first meeting as “love at first sight” (deadpool & cable #26, 2011).
i mentioned before that deadpool’s gender can be read as queer, so let’s talk about that real quick. deadpool is often depicted in classic feminine/girl poses (new mutants #98, 1991; wolverine #88, 1994; deadpool: merc with a mouth #2, 2009; deadpool vol. 4 #4, 2009; fear itself: deadpool #1, 2011; deadpool corps #10, 2011; fear itself: deadpool #3, 2011; deadpool: too soon?, 2016). he often wears “women’s clothing” (deadpool #65, 2002; cable & deadpool #9, 2005; cable & deadpool #20, 2005; deadpool gli summer fun spectacular, 2007; deadpool #20, 2010; deadpool team-up #895, 2010; wolverine/deadpool: the decoy #1, 2011; deadpool #33, 2011; avenging spider-man #12, 2012; deadpool #49.1, 2012; uncanny x-force #24, 2012; deadpool #4, 2013; deadpool: paws, 2015), is pleased with how he looks in them (wolverine/deadpool: the decoy #1, 2011; deadpool #4, 2013; deadpool: paws, 2015), and wears them even when it isn’t relevant plot-wise (deadpool #20, 2010; deadpool team-up #895, 2010; avenging spider-man #12, 2012; deadpool #49.1, 2012).
when deadpool is split into multiple deadpools, referred to as “scattering his inner selves,” one is a woman (deadpool #64, 2002) and one is wearing ms. marvel’s suit (cable & deadpool #48, 2007). in deadpool #15 (2009), while hallucinating, deadpool is bothered by not fitting in or being accepted for who he is and thinks he’d be accepted as such in san francisco. the next panel is deadpool in nothing but tiny purple shorts and crop top while rollerblading and being depicted in a stereotypical flamboyant manner. in 2017, deadpool actor ryan reynolds spoke about deadpool being “so feminine” that he would advise the stunt doubles, who “had a hard time dropping the macho swagger,” to “sashay away” when they land.
if any of the examples of deadpool being queer in text and the reasons why it shouldn’t be dismissed aren’t enough for you, here are all the out of text confirmation of deadpool’s queerness by creators, writers, directors, actors, etc. in 2013, comic writer gerry duggan said he considers deadpool “ready & willing to do anything with a pulse” and promised to keep everyone “up to date on his omnisexual exploits.” in 2014, comic writer christopher hastings was asked if he agrees with duggan considering deadpool “pansexual or omnisexual,” to which he said it “seems clear” to him. comic writer gail simone in 2015 said she “always thought of deadpool as pansexual.” in 2016, comic writer and artist reilly brown responded to a question about the meaning of a statue of cable being among deadpool’s love interests, saying, “wade has never hid his feelings for cable…very well. he also denies them until he’s red in the face, so pick your poison.” in 2018, comic writer joe kelly said he didn’t think he was “as aware of dp’s pansexuality” as he is now.
comic writer and deadpool co-creator fabian nicieza has been outspoken about deadpool’s sexuality, and not always in the best way. in 2015, he described deadpool as being “whatever sexual inclination his brain tells him he is in that moment. and then the moment passes.” when criticized about how he spoke of deadpool’s sexuality, nicieza ranted that deadpool’s “brain cells are in constant flux. he can be gay one minute, hetero the next, etc. all are valid. it is why he is insane, why his memory is so flawed and why he was able to survive the cancer in his system. it is why he can like something one minute and hate it the next. it has always been a part of the characters makeup.” he added, “you’re arguing with the guy who introduced the omnisexual, pansexual, heterosexual, homosexual, etc. aspects of the character!” when criticized again for claiming deadpool is queer because his “brain is broken,” nicieza stated he isn’t “claiming” anything, it’s how he “created him from the beginning.” in response to being asked if he is going to address the “shitstorm” he created, he said, “i deserve it for improperly stating things and more importantly trying to have debate about complicated character and comic book pseudo-science on twitter which thrives on simplicity.”
in 2016, comic writer and deadpool co-creator rob liefeld spoke about how touching it was for teenaged fans to thank him for “this pansexual character.” in 2021, liefeld discussed deadpool’s sexuality and credited ryan reynold with deadpool’s pansexuality, “i would love to tell you that 22-year-old rob liefeld was thinking that way when i created him, but that wasn’t something i was focused on. do i welcome, love, embrace what ryan has done in expanding and adding to the diversity? 100 percent. i see how it has affected kids all over the world. we’re going to place that at ryan’s feet, and we’re all the better for it.”
deadpool director tim miller stated in 2015, “pansexual. i want that quoted. pansexual deadpool.” and producer simon kinberg said, “the character, as you know, identifies as pansexual in the comics, and while we don’t explore it in depth in this film, it’s definitely alluded to.” miller also said in 2016, “in my mind, he’s always been pansexual and i wanted to be true to the way he is in the comics.” deadpool cast member ed skrein said, “this is 2016, we all need to grow up. i’m going to be a spokesperson for pansexuality from here on out.” in 2016, reynolds said he’s aware of deadpool’s pansexuality, “i love that about deadpool. i love that he can break any boundary.” he added that it would be nice for deadpool to have a boyfriend, “i certainly wouldn’t be the guy standing in the way of that. that would be great.” also in 2016, in promotion for deadpool, the guardian guide cover was deadpool giving a thumbs up with a speech bubble reading, “hey, wanna read an article about a foul-mouthed pansexual assassin?”
in 2024, during press for deadpool & wolverine, reynolds was asked if there’s any sexual chemistry or tension between the titular characters “since deadpool is famously pansexual,” to which he responded, “i can’t speak for wolverine, but i feel like deadpool has sexual tension with everything and everyone.” shawn levy, director of deadpool & wolverine, brought up deadpool’s sexuality in a wired interview: “the pansexual openness of deadpool is delightful,” adding, “i love that deadpool is so audaciously ahead-of-his-time fluid.”
(these examples of deadpool’s pansexuality and queerness are by no means exhaustive. it’s limited to what i’ve seen and read, and i would be surprised if there weren’t just as many more examples or confirmations out there.)
if you’ve made it this far, hopefully you’ve gained some perspective or insight on deadpool’s sexuality and the arguments made to deny it. or on queerness in general. if you’ve ever thought, “they say this character is queer, but…” or anything similar that casts doubt on a character’s queerness because of things like their dating history or how they express their queerness, please understand that those things do not determine attraction or identity, queerness doesn’t have to be proven through behavior, and someone else’s queerness isn’t yours to question or police. if you’re thinking, “it’s not that deep,” i’ll say again that when you direct this line of thinking toward fictional characters, it can and does seep into your (and when shared publicly, others’) perception and treatment of real-life queer people. we are affected by this rhetoric. so please, stop. just let queer characters be queer in whatever way they happen to be, including deadpool.
