Marvel antihero is dead in the water

SAYS the refreshingly brash, uncontrollably potty-mouth-ed and irritatingly smug mutant mercenary whose origins story bursts to glorious, mother-(expletive deleted) life in the film that bears his name: "I may be super, but I'm no hero."

By the end of Deadpool viewers will have witnessed plenty of superhero-like evidence to the contrary, along with an edginess and moral ambiguity that sets him apart from the average spandex-wearing do-gooder.

Until now, Deadpool (the character) has been mostly on the cinematic sidelines, watching his higher-profile Marvel Comics brethren bask in the blockbuster limelight. He made a brief appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) but his close-up comes after spending years in development hell - and he's bent on making up for lost time.