"I'll have a batch of updates on that sooner rather than later..."

It's been nearly four years since 'Deadpool' last lit up our cinema screens - so where the hell is he?

Ryan Reynolds has teased fans that new 'Deadpool 3' updates are on the way "sooner rather than later", keeping us optimistic we'll get word on the whereabouts of the threequel later this year.

Speaking exclusively with Collider, Reynolds offered up this bit of vague yet hopeful news about future plans for the fan-favourite character. When asked if he and 'The Adam Project' and 'Free Guy' director Shawn Levy might work together on 'Deadpool 3', the actor said: "We pretty much talk about everything, but I'll say this about that particular subject is I'll have a batch of updates on that sooner rather than later, I hope.

"So I'll be able to get into stuff about Deadpool a little bit more clearly and definitively down the road."

It may not be much, but it's something. The Merc with a mouth hasn't been seen on our screens since Reynolds and Taika Waititi teamed up in a sketch promoting their 20th Century Studios film 'Free Guy', reprising their roles as Deadpool and Korg. This was the first time that the anti-hero appeared alongside any character from the MCU, leading fans to believe that something was brewing at Disney.

Indulging in some light fan speculation briefly, MCU/X-Men fans were swept up in a frenzy following the release of the second trailer for 'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness'. The voice of what many believe to be Patrick Stewart (X-Men's Professor Charles Xavier) can be heard during the trailer. Following on from that, Reynolds' Deadpool was also thrown into the mix for good measure, following a very pixelated zoom of the movie's new poster which apparently features the character.

Reynolds, however, flat-out denied his involvement in the feature, saying: "I'm really not supposed to say anything about that. But I'm really not in the movie."

We've learned enough from Andrew Garfield's dodging of the 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' questions to know that actors lie (particularly anything related to MCU) all of the time. Even Patrick Stewart isn't biting at any of the speculation being thrown at him.

Reynolds will next appear in Netflix's 'The Adam Project', which is due for release on March 11.