Madonna Teams With Deadpool & Wolverine Director for Netflix Biopic Series, With New MCU Star Likely to Lead

In the past few years, there have been many conversations about a biopic about the Queen of Pop, Madonna. Now, the project is closer to happening thanks to the Deadpool & Wolverinedirector.

Per Deadline, Madonna has struck a deal with Netflix for a limited series about her life and music. The project is in early development, and the global superstar also paired up with Shawn Levy, whose 21 Laps has an exclusive TV deal with the platform, who will also produce the limited series. The news comes after several failed projects about Madonna's life.

Madonna and Levy have reportedly been discussing the project for a while. At the same time, they will also start from zero. Last year, a Madonna biopic was shelved, which would've starred three-time Emmy-winning actress Julia Garner (Ozark, Inventing Anna) as the Queen of Pop after months of auditions.

The limited series is in its early days of development, and there are few details about the project. It's unclear which part of Madonna's life will cover, and it's unclear whether Garner will still be a part of the project. The outlet reports that the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps star is still "most likely" to play the superstar. Madonna was involved in co-writing the biopic, but it's unclear whether she is writing the upcoming limited series, too. Garner shared a photo of her at Madonna in early March from the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

"I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer – a human being, trying to make her way in this world," Madonna had previously explained about the Universal biopic in 2020. Madonna has had an undeniable impact on society, pop culture, and women in music since her breakout. The "Like a Virgin" star often pushed boundaries when it came to women's rights and sexuality, and has been a vocal LGBTQ+ community supporter.

Deadpool & Wolverine Featured an Ode to Madonna

In 2024, one of Madonna's hit songs, "Like a Prayer," was featured in the superhero blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine. The song was used in a key moment near the end of the film, where Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine join forces to save Deadpool's timeline by destroying the Time Ripper together.

Speaking about acquiring the rights to the song, Levy confirmed that he and Reynolds paid a "personal visit" to the superstar. The director also clarified that the visit was necessary because the hitmaker wanted to know where they would use her 1989 song in the film.

Reynolds, who was also a co-writer and producer on the superhero hit, explained, "It was a big deal to ask for it and certainly a bigger deal to use it. We went over and met with her and sort of showed her how it was being used, and where, and why." Reynolds added, "She gave a great note. She watched it, and I'm not kidding, [she said], 'You need to do this.' And damn it, if she wasn't spot on."

Source: Deadline