Does 'Deadpool' Test Footage Already Exist?

On the list of long-developing comic book adaptations, "Deadpool" is right up there with "Justice League of America" and "Squirrel Girl." (Maybe not the latter.) A proper one, too, as fans were understandably a little disappointed when Ryan Reynolds turned out to be some kind of amalgam mutant in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and not the wise-cracking red-masked mercenary we all know. News of a more conventional Wade Wilson has been in the pipeline for at least a few years, but according to Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, the project might be closer than we realized.

Speaking at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con, Liefeld dished a few secrets about the film's progress. Most importantly, as highlighted by Bleeding Cool, almost eight minutes of "Deadpool" test footage may already exist, as teased by Liefeld himself.

"They've got a great director on the movie, they've got a great script. I may or may have not seen some sort of test of footage that would blow your mind if you saw it and go holy crap and that's Deadpool in costume," Liefeld told the audience. "Katana swords, guns, shooting people's faces off and making me laugh. And I may or may not have seen something that looks just like that. And you've got what would amount to the first R-rated X-Men movie, because that script is R-rated."

It's kind of a bold proposition. R-rated comic book movies haven't fared too well because, well, they're comic book movies; it's hard to go full gore when there's a guy wearing a painted skull on his chest. It always looks a little bit goofy, yeah? But if there's one to break the mold, it would be a "Deadpool" movie. According to Liefeld, the filmmakers are close to getting their shot.

"They may or may not have wanted to shoot eight minutes to see how it would play," he said. "And all I can tell you, it's close. It's closer that it's even been to going, or going 'Naaah, that's too scary a proposition to make a R-rated Deadpool movie.'"

What do you think of the possibility of R-rated "Deadpool" test footage? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!