Oh, oh hello: Spoilers for the MCU's latest release Deadpool & Wolverine can be found throughout this story, now that the movie's hit the 2024 release schedule.
Post-credit scenes are as much a part of the MCU timeline as superhero landings and surprise celebrity cameos. Deadpool & Wolverine, which is in theaters now, is no exception to any of those. There are two post-credit scenes, but one is different than most and I thought especially poignant.
Sometimes these are only a quick joke, and sometimes they are an important plot element reveal; the previous Deadpool movies had both. For Deadpool & Wolverine, the post and end credits scenes are ones I've never seen before. Here’s a breakdown of both.
Why The First EndCredit Scene Is So Different From Other MCU Movies
The first thing that pops up is not actually a new scene. Instead, it’s something more heartfelt. The first (last) thing audiences hear is the opening notes to Green Day's “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” as a grainy behind-the-scenes video from the 20th Century Fox-era X-Men movies appears. It reminded me of movies back in the ‘80s like Smokey & Bandit that showed outtakes over the credits.
This is better though, because it’s more than outtakes. It’s all the cast and crew members having lighthearted and heartwarming moments over the years as they filmed movies between 2000 and 2019, including Hugh Jackman in his many movies as Wolverine before Disney bought Fox.
The House of Mouse's big purchase happened in 2019, so this is a wonderful sendoff to that particular corner of the Marvel world, as all those characters are now under the Mouse’s roof.
Luckily, you can watch those movies with a Disney+ subscription, and more X-Men are expected to join the MCU on the big screen in the coming years. The tribute ends on an even more emotional sendoff with the Fox logo appearing just as the last notes of the song are played. This hit me just where it counts because not only was it a wonderful way to say goodbye to that era, but in college, a friend made a video of all of our friends waving goodbye with the same song playing, and it felt almost like saying goodbye to my old X-Men friends.
The Second Post-Credit Scene Is More Predictable (And Funny)
The second post-credits scene, at the end of the credits this time, opens with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) looking at the camera in the TVA control room, breaking the fourth wall. I almost expected it to be similar to the Ferris Bueller’s Day spoof in the first Deadpool. Instead, the Merc with the Mouth makes a plea to the audience that he wasn’t lying to Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) about what Johnny Storm said about her before his quick-yet-painful death.
Earlier in the movie, after linking up with Johnny Storm played by Chris Evans, a role Evans won't reprise in the new Fantastic Four movie, in The Void and getting caught and taken to Nova’s lair by her henchman, Deadpool unleashed a tirade of insults he claims Storm said Nova. Any fan of Deadpool would know he was lying, as it’s the kind of thing only the snarkiest Marvel anti-hero would come up with.
Not so fast! It turns out Johnny Storm did say all those things, as Deadpool proves by playing back the tape of their ride to Nova’s lair. Watching Chris Evans deliver what are essentially Deadpool insults is amazing and it makes sticking around to the end worth it even if it reveals nothing about the future of the MCU or even the next movie Captain America: Brave New World, coming out next February.
