A violent Deadpool 3 fan art imagines what a major fight between Deadpool and Wolverine in the movie might look like. The Marvel Cinematic Universe movie — which will be the only MCU film in 2024 — sees Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman return as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, to co-lead Deadpool 3‘s talented cast. The duo last butted heads in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, though that movie failed to bring a comic book-accurate Deadpool to life.

On Instagram, now that the characters will finally have a go at each other again — with Deadpool 3 set photos revealing a major Deadpool and Wolverine fight — digital artist @agtdesign shared a look at how bloody the fight might get.

The Deadpool 3 fan art features Jackman’s Wolverine in his new yellow costume from the comics, with the character brutally stabbing Deadpool with his claws. Reynolds’ mutant fights back by stabbing Wolverine with one of his swords. While the duo is confirmed to fight in the film, it remains to be seen how Deadpool 3‘s story will put the characters together.

Why Deadpool 3’s R Rating Is A Big Deal For The MCU

The MCU Is Starting A New Plan

A mature tone has been largely absent from the MCU so far due to the universe’s PG-13 rating. While some projects have managed to walk to the edge of what is and is not allowed for that rating, a movie like Deadpool 3 needs the freedom that comes with an R rating to do its character justice. Deadpool 3 will be the first R-rated MCU movie, laying the path for other films to follow.

Reynolds’ previous Deadpool movies became popular due to the character’s raunchy humor, violent fights, and emotional stakes. Deadpool 3, being the MCU’s first R-rated movie, allows the franchise to keep what made Reynolds’ Deadpool work while Marvel itself evolves in the process. The recent creation of the Marvel Spotlight banner shows just how much of an impact Deadpool 3‘s R rating has had on the MCU already.

Marvel Spotlight will be used to give the MCU “a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen.” That description is perfect for Marvel to continue to develop R-rated projects for characters that need them. For instance, had Marvel Spotlight been created a couple of years before, Disney+’s Moon Knight — which received criticism over its disappointing violence — would likely have been developed with a TV-MA rating and thrived. The live-action MCU is starting to delve into a more mature tone, with Blade and Echo getting an R rating and a TV-MA rating, respectively, and Deadpool 3 marks the effective start of that major change for the universe.