Once Upon a Deadpool vs Deadpool 2: Differences & Where to Watch

What happens when a superhero film gets a Christmas sweater? Once Upon a Deadpool is what happens: a PG-13 re-cut of Deadpool 2 with added scenes of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool reading the “King James Edition” to a kidnapped Fred Savage, riffing on The Princess Bride. Released December 12, 2018, this charity-driven experiment in family-friendly mayhem never quite found its audience in the streaming age.

Release Date: December 12, 2018 · MPAA Rating: PG-13 · Framing Device: Fred Savage as kidnapped listener · Basis: Deadpool 2 re-edit · Runtime: 1h 58m

What was Once Upon a Deadpool?

Once Upon a Deadpool is a PG-13 re-edited version of Deadpool 2 with added wraparound scenes featuring Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Fred Savage. The premise riffed on The Princess Bride, with Deadpool kidnapping Savage and forcing him to listen to a reading of the “King James Edition” of Deadpool 2, complete with crude crayon drawings.

Plot summary

The core narrative follows Deadpool 2’s story, but framed as a bedtime tale told by Wade Wilson to a reluctant audience of one. The film maintains most of the original plot—Cable’s hunt for Russell Collins, the formation of X-Force—but Deadpool breaks the fourth wall and comments on the censorship throughout.

Framing story with Fred Savage

Fred Savage, famous for his role in The Wonder Years, plays a kidnapped listener who must endure Deadpool’s PG-13 retelling. This framing device reportedly was a condition set by Ryan Reynolds himself before agreeing to participate in the re-edit (Top 10 Nerd). The bleeper-drowning gag runs throughout the new footage, with Deadpool joking that the only F-bomb left is “Fred Savage” (ScreenRant).

Is Once Upon a Deadpool the same as Deadpool 2?

Once Upon a Deadpool borrows most of Deadpool 2’s footage but is not identical. Beyond the new Fred Savage scenes, the version released December 12, 2018 includes reshoots that altered certain moments for the charity-driven PG-13 release.

Core story overlap

The main narrative structure remains intact. Cable targets the young mutant Russell, Domino brings chaos to the team, and the X-Force mission unfolds in roughly the same sequence. However, 152 differences separate the theatrical Deadpool 2 from this re-cut, with Deadpool 2 running 47.42 seconds longer (Movie-Censorship.com).

Key edits for rating

The PG-13 rating required specific removals: all F-words eliminated, blood digitally removed from rampage sequences, sound effects on violence toned down, and explicit drug references deleted. LA Times reported that scenes depicting dismemberment were “toned down” while keeping enough violence to still earn the PG-13 designation (LA Times).

The implication: Deadpool 2’s core bone-breaking humor survives in PG-13 form, but the visceral payoff that defined the R-rated version gets significantly softened.

What are the big differences between Once Upon a Deadpool and Deadpool 2?

The differences fall into three categories: content cuts to secure the PG-13 rating, entirely new wraparound scenes, and tonal shifts that change the viewing experience.

Content cuts

GameSpot documented 26 major scene changes, including removal of the bar full of villains, the Tokyo bathhouse scene, the strip club sequence, blood from rampages, and the graphic X-Force deaths that showed bodies hitting the ground. A notably cut moment had Wade Wilson’s mouth sewn shut for extended scenes — a visual gag that would have complicated the PG-13 rating significantly (GameSpot).

Added framing scenes

The new footage with Fred Savage serves as bookends to the film, with Deadpool interrupting the main story periodically to comment on censorship. Post-credits scenes were also added, reportedly showing Fred Savage being released after 3 days (Top 10 Nerd).

Tone shifts

The PG-13 version plays differently even when the same footage appears on screen. ScreenRant noted that while blood is removed and sound effects toned down, the film “still feels violent for PG-13 including Deadpool ripped in half” — the core bone-breaking humor survives, just without the visceral payoff. The bleeper replacing swearing creates a rhythm where every censored word becomes its own joke (ScreenRant).

The catch: even with the censorship comedy working in its favor, the PG-13 version never fully escaped the shadow of its R-rated source material.

What was the point of Once Upon a Deadpool?

The project served two purposes: a charitable fundraising mechanism and a holiday-season theatrical experiment to test whether an R-rated franchise could reach family audiences.

Charity purpose

Proceeds from Once Upon a Deadpool benefited Fudge Cancer (now connected to the Midnight Grace Foundation), with Ryan Reynolds reportedly requiring charity participation as a condition for his involvement in the new footage (Top 10 Nerd). The holiday release timing aligned with year-end giving season, turning a theatrical re-release into a philanthropic vehicle.

Holiday release strategy

Once Upon a Deadpool replaced Alita: Battle Angel in theaters during the 2018 holiday season (ComicBook.com). The strategy targeted family audiences avoiding R-rated films but curious about the Deadpool phenomenon. It was a limited theatrical run — preview screenings on November 19, 2018, followed by wide release on December 12.

What this means: Ryan Reynolds leveraged his star power to transform a charity tie-in into a legitimate theatrical release, though the experiment ultimately proved more interesting than commercially successful.

Where can I watch Once Upon a Deadpool?

Finding Once Upon a Deadpool in 2024 is significantly harder than watching its R-rated predecessor.

Streaming options

As of recent checks, Once Upon a Deadpool has no streaming options available online (JustWatch). Deadpool 2 streams on Disney+, but the PG-13 version never joined any platform. Plex confirms no free streaming availability for the title currently (Plex).

Purchase availability

Physical Blu-ray remains the only reliable option. JustWatch lists availability from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Google Play shows a listing for digital rental or purchase with a 3.7-star average rating from 2018, while Fandango at Home also carries the title. ComicBook.com reported the film became “almost impossible to watch” digitally, noting it exists “only on Blu-ray and not on any digital streaming or purchase platforms” (ComicBook.com).

Why unavailable

The limited theatrical run and charity-driven purpose likely contributed to the film’s disappearance from digital platforms. Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox and the subsequent Marvel integration means Deadpool 2 lives on Disney+, while Once Upon a Deadpool — a short-run experiment — apparently fell through licensing cracks. The charitable window may have expired, and rights holders apparently haven’t prioritized digital re-releases.

Five films, one pattern: theatrical R-rated Deadpool 2 has wide streaming access through Disney+; the PG-13 charity experiment exists only on physical media in 2024.

This side-by-side comparison reveals how much the re-edit sacrificed for its PG-13 rating — and why the unrated version dominated in streaming longevity.

“Once Upon a Deadpool is little more than a watered-down version of Deadpool 2 with a couple clever wraparound segments featuring Ryan Reynolds and Fred Savage.”

— ScreenCrush (Film Critic)

“A kidnapped Fred Savage is forced to endure Deadpool’s PG-13 rendition of Deadpool 2 as a Princess Bride-esque story that’s full of magic, wonder and a single F.”

— Plex (Streaming Platform)

Once Upon a Deadpool remains a fascinating footnote in superhero cinema — a film that tried to democratize an R-rated franchise through creative re-editing and charitable purpose. The experiment produced something genuinely different from a simple cut: a Princess Bride parody framework that recontextualizes the entire Deadpool 2 experience.