There are a lot ofcharacters in the X-Menuniverse – more than a lot – far too many. And not all of them are worth featuring in a film. However, if you ask Ryan Reynolds, each character deserves some screen time, especially those nobody really cares about. He loves a misfit mutant, and there is no better trend-follower thanDazzler.
She followed the disco trend and was very different from other characters. But thanks to Ryan Reynold’s love for oddballs, she may appear in the upcomingDeadpool & Wolverinemovie. The biggest part of the rumor? She’s being played by music superstarTaylor Swift.
Deadpool 3 Would Capitalize on Trends
WhenDazzler was createdin 1979, disco was still a thriving music genre. It was something that came in and came out pretty fast but had a lasting influence on the music industry. Like any other trend, everyone wanted to capitalize on it before it disappeared. Take a great idea that people love and drain it until it’s a parody of itself. That was disco.
From this particular time came the Universal Music Group, which had multiple disco artists on their payroll. Marvel approached them to see if they would be interested in teaming up to create a character that could bridge their two industries (it should be noted that some people claim it was Universal that approached Marvel).The idea was to create a new hero encompassing everything people loved about disco. She would be brightly drawn, wear the trendy clothes of artists like Donna Summers, and have somekind of mutant power. The power, however, took some time to nail down.
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When the character was finally hashed out, Disco was nearly dead. Disco artists were seeing a decline in sales, and ’80s rock was about to take over. Even the bigwigs at Universal who had helped spearhead the collaboration were no longer with the company. However, Marvel had a character they had created and were ready to promote.This was Dazzler.
Take a Lame Idea and Eventually Work It Out
Dazzler first appeared in anX-Men comicas a side character. She is singing in a club and putting on one hell of a light show. The reason for this soon becomes clear. She is a mutant who can pull sonic vibrations and transmute them into visual blasts. This means she takes sound and turns it into light. So, when she is singing and surrounded by music, she can also put on a light show in various colors and levels of brightness. Dazzler is a one-woman nightclub.
The good thing is that after the disco tie-in fell apart, Marvel decided they had put too much effort into the character just to get rid of her. So they did what any good group of artists does and made her better. She was given a name, Alison Blaire, and a full backstory. When she joined the X-Men, it was as someone who was a giant pop sensation who needed refuge and help.
Professor Xavier helped her hone her powers and realize that it wasn’t all just disco lights and music but the ability to expel light energy in different wavelengths, create sound voids around her, and store sonic energy that could be expelled at a later time. She has subsequently done things like use her powers to turn into a light bomb with an enormous expulsion of light and energy that put one person in a coma and blinded others to the degree thatshe has become a truly dangerous adversary.
Dazzler Is Somewhat of an Icon, Like Taylor Swift
Pop culture changes so often that a one-note character like Dazzler can be adapted to newer trends. Much like a real performer can reinvent themselves,Dazzler has changed her personal style and even the types of music she performs. In a world where mutants have become famous, Alison Blaire is huge. And while that may be true of the characters within the Marvel universe, Dazzler has had a significant impact on a specific sub-section of comic book fans.
Queer Icons Welcome
One of the more fascinating aspects of the character is that she has become a queer icon. Although the character has neveridentified as LGBTQ+, her backstory resonates with people who have been through a “coming out” journey.MTVtalked about this on their website in an article titled “The Queer Importance Of Dazzler, Marvel’s Disco-Inspired, Rollerskating Superheroine” when they said:
“Her journey of struggling for acceptance from a dismissive father and longing for the love of her missing mother was something that queer readers, who only ten years earlier could have been arrested for showing signs of affection toward a member of the same sex in public, connected with.”
With all this in mind,Deadpool & Wolverinemay bring in an even wider fanbase by including the character, even as aone-off cameoby an acclaimed singer-songwriter.
Taylor Swift Would Only Increase Deadpool 3’s Box Office
The fact that the character may be brought into theDeadpooland MCU universe is one thing, but the idea that she would be played by this generation’s most celebrated songstress is icing on the cake.Reynolds' wife is famously friendswith the singer, and it is the type of role Swift would take on.
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Consider that the character is not quite a stretch from her real-life counterpart.Swift has proved her abilities in a variety of different genres. She is a beautiful blonde, and she has no problem with the idea of poking fun at herself, as she did in her cameo inAmsterdam. And she would be poking fun. If Dazzler appears in the film, she will be mocked for her earliest incarnation. This may feel like a bit of a betrayal to those who know her entire history, but the simple fact that she is even being brought to the screen could have a larger effect on an even newer fanbase.
Swift’s massive fanbase would turn out in droves to see her in a film and be the first to buy merchandise featuring her and her character. So, for people who lovethe comic versionof the character, the sheer influence of Swift and her celebration of the LGBTQ+ community could be enough to make everyone happy.Deadpool & Wolverineis heading to theaters on August 24, 2025.
