Fox has set a release date for a Deadpool movie starring Ryan Reynolds, who originated the role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Deadpool Gets A Release Date

Fox and Marvel announced on Thursday that a Deadpool film is scheduled for release on Feb. 12, 2016 – three months before the scheduled release of X-Men: Apocalypse. While Reynolds has not officially signed on to star in the newest X-Men spinoff, it is believed that he will reprise his role. The actor has frequently expressed his desire to return to the franchise, and he lent his voice to Deadpool test footage that was leaked in July.

Rumors of a Deadpool movie have been circling ever since the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009, when Reynolds introduced the character to the X-Men franchise. The film ended with the character in transition, on his way to becoming the Deadpool seen in the comics. The film was somewhat of a critical flop, and the Deadpool movie seemed all but dead as Reynolds moved on to play the Green Lantern in 2011 and the X-Men franchise got a makeover with X-Men: First Class (2011). However, with the recent success of X-Men: Days Of Future Past, the Deadpool movie has been revived.

Deadpool will be Tim Miller’s directorial debut with an R-rated script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland).

“Rhett and Paul wrote a brilliant, and I don’t throw that word around loosely, a brilliant script! Audiences are going to go on the ride of their collective lives with this film as they envisioned it…Deadpool fans will freak out when they see all that Tim and the boys have in store for them,” said Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld in a statement on the upcoming film.

Fox also announced new release dates for the Fantastic Four reboot, which will now be released on Aug. 7, 2015, and the next John Green adaptation, Paper Towns, will be taking Fantastic Four’s newly vacated release date of June 19, 2015.