In 2016, a film entered the ether in which the protagonist instantly became a household American superhero. Furthermore, it earned over 782 million dollars against a 58 million million dollar budget. To put this in context, it became the 9th highest-grossing film of the year and broke multiple box office records. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, we are, of course, talking about Deadpool.
Following on from the popularity of this initial release, a second film was released in 2018, achieving similar critical and commercial success. In 2024, a third Deadpool, starring the returning Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman, will further integrate the characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In other words, Deadpool has secured its place amongst the likes of Superman and Batman, especially in the case of younger generations, and is going nowhere soon.
The Culture of Deadpool
Just as is the case with any franchise that achieves such phenomenal success, it begins to seep into and influence pop culture. In addition to your standard pop culture subconscious checklist, eagle-eyed Deadpool fans were able to pick up on a subtle, but nonetheless incredibly topical, nod to a now world famous entity.
In several scenes, which take place at Deadpool’s best friend’s public house, you can see a Bitcoin sticker to indicate that the cryptocurrency is an accepted method of payment. This detail situates the Deadpool universe firmly within the modern era and adds to fact that it feels like a superhero grounded in a relatable reality.
First introduced to the public in 2009, Bitcoin was created by an anonymous developer, or group of developers, going under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It is a cryptocurrency, which is a virtual currency that is designed to function as a form of payment outside of direct governmental control. As the most well-known cryptocurrency in the world, it only makes sense that an establishment in New York City, the city in which Deadpool is set, would accept it as payment.
Bitcoin has, naturally, also made a big impact on how people use the internet, especially when it comes to playing live casino table games. Bitcoin has quickly become the payment method of choice for a large proportion of online casino players due to the multiple advantages it has over a traditional currency.
You are able to gain access to a wider variety of games, remain anonymous when playing casino games online, deposit and withdraw money instantly, and all while remaining safer and more secure than in comparison to standard online casinos. In essence, if you were designing the ideal payment method for live casino games, such as poker and blackjack, Bitcoin would be it.
It may have been a subtle nod to the cryptocurrency, but the fact that Deadpool chose Bitcoin speaks to its creator’s attention to detail, as well as the fact they had their finger firmly on the pulse of the digital age.
So, the next time you decide to watch Deadpool, keep an eye out for this nod to the currency of the present and the future!