Summary

• The Deadpool & Wolverine popcorn bucket taps into crude humor, reflecting the Deadpool character and marketing stunts seen in previous movies.
• The bucket, designed by Deadpool himself, is marked with a Wolverine mask and requires snack retrieval through a mouth hole, oozing butter.
• The unique popcorn bucket capitalizes on social media trends and aligns with Deadpool's brand, signaling a humorous and unforgettable moviegoing experience.

In appropriately ribald fashion, Ryan Reynolds has shared the first look at the popcorn bucket commemorating the release of everything we know about Deadpool, it will continue in the coming weeks with humorous and creative viral stunts and displays. The first of these began this week when a video was shared after months of teases to reveal the new popcorn bucket that will be sold to moviegoers when Deadpool & Wolverine is released this July.

Popcorn buckets that correspond with movie releases are nothing new. Movie theaters have printed metal buckets and durable drinkware for decades with the names and images from the most recent releases. This has given moviegoers the chance to purchase collectible products to commemorate their trips to the cinema and has been a financial success for the theatres and a cultural love of moviegoers for years. Until recently, most of these products were fairly simple and did not depart significantly from a bucket or bowl shape. With an earlier release this year, it appears that trend is set to change.

Where The Deadpool Popcorn Bucket Meme Comes From

With the release of Dune Part 2, popcorn buckets have taken on a new life on social media. While the Dune 2 popcorn bucket creators claim that they did not anticipate this outcome, the piece's innuendo appears obvious to audiences. This merchandise became such a phenomenon due to its strange appeal and the jokes surrounding it that theater chains would routinely sell out. It is clear that these were then a massive commercial success, and it was only a matter of time before other films would capitalize on that market share in the same fashion.

Since the beginning of this phenomenon, Ryan Reynolds and the marketing team behind Deadpool and Wolverine have spoken of their intent to do just that and capitalize on this opportunity. Where Dune 2 unintentionally walked, it appeared from the beginning that Deadpool intended to run. This was later confirmed at CinemaCon, where Kevin Feige announced that the MCU film's popcorn bucket would be "crude and lewd." With the recent unveiling of this component in the marketing campaign, it has quickly become clear that none of these claims were overstated.

Which Deadpool & Wolverine Popcorn Bucket Images Aren't Real

Since these claims of an offensive Deadpool popcorn bucket began to circulate in February, the implications of what these buckets might consist of became clear. As a result, many fan creators online put together mockups of versions of how the popcorn buckets could look. The below image from BossLogic shows boxes shaped in the heads of the film's titular characters, with caps to seal their mouths. While still true to the spirit of the eventual real bucket, the shape and format of this proposed design were incorrect. Still, it was an excellent attempt to determine what the snack container would eventually resemble.

The IGN version is a little more terrifying and a little closer to the Dune container from which the premise originated. Clearly another fan version, this bucket replicates the horrifying teeth of Shai-Hulud and inserts them into Wade Wilson's mouth. While hardly a pleasant sight, this bucket's elements also seem to match at least the spirit of what the final product resembles. Still, this version is just a little too close to an actual bag of popcorn, not reaching quite the same extent the product itself thinks outside the box. Following months of speculation, the final bucket is now revealed.

What The Deadpool & Wolverine Popcorn Bucket Really Looks Like

Revealed in a video posted to Ryan Reynolds' on X, the final result lives up to the filth moviegoers have come to expect from Deadpool. In a short video filled with Deadpool's gloved hand sensually stroking the container, the container is shown to be a black bucket marked with the words "designed by Deadpool" and a Wolverine mask attached. Following the influence of the Dune sandworms, popcorn is obtained by reaching through the mouth hole and withdrawing the snack.

In the video's final moments, gooey, melted butter oozes across Wolverine's masked face. This popcorn bucket is notable because it is among the first official looks audiences have had of the yellow Wolverine mask, and it is appropriate for Deadpool that such perverse imagery is used to highlight its release. No drink containers have been ed for as yet. Still, some moviegoers have already wondered if there will be a corresponding Deadpool bucket designed by Wolverine to be sold alongside this one. Either way, this bucket will be available at most theater chains when the film is released in July.

Why The Deadpool & Wolverine Popcorn Bucket Is Great

The Deadpool & Wolverine popcorn bucket is a success because it taps into the crude, sexual humor of the Deadpool character while capitalizing on the meta-conversation on containers that began earlier this year. It is funny, on brand, and an immediate cultural reflection like Deadpool regularly makes. As Deadpool, as a character, is so aware of popular culture, it makes sense for him to be aware of such events as the release of the Dune popcorn bucket. Because of his crude and immature sensibilities, it also makes sense for the character to play off that to make this joke.

Previous Deadpool movies have used marketing stunts to promote the films, and the first movie was only made due to the leaking of footage online. Following a history of placing himself in trailers, posters, and even on DVD covers for other movies, it makes sense for Wade Wilson to break the fourth wall and insert himself into this conversation on movie theater concessions. While the snack itself will still be the same buttery, delicious, salty popcorn the movie theaters have always carried, this receptacle will bring an extra, memorable element to the theatergoing experience for the anticipated MCU film.

The stars have aligned too clearly, and this was too great an opportunity for Deadpool & Wolverine not to seize. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe in an unclear place, the insertion of Deadpool and the X-Men hopes to revitalize the franchise. A lot is riding on this film, and after the enormous successes of Deadpool and Deadpool 2, there is reason to believe that Deadpool & Wolverine could be the biggest movie of the summer. The studio certainly hopes it will be and is putting great effort into ensuring that all audiences will be aware of its release come July.