The world of upcoming Marvel movies is a much thinner herd than usual in 2024. However, when you take into account that director Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine is the year's one franchise film, you can begin to see why that might be a good thing. Bound to be crammed with a huge amount of easter eggs, cameos, and connections between MCU past, present and future, one could assume this hearty beast will take some time to digest.
It’s an assumption that’s further highlighted by the fact that two surprise Marvel cameos were seemingly confirmed by the most recent Deadpool & Wolverine trailer. With the supposed return of two supporting players from the X-Men movies taking place in this latest reel, I’m dying to see who else could be emerging from the shadows of the Marvel-adjacent past.
In case you haven’t seen it for yourself, here’s the latest update to what we know about Deadpool 3:
Look, the words “Let’s Fucking Go” tend to be overused in the culture of the internet, but when Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman said them in that trailer, I really fucking felt it. So let’s take that energy and talk about the Marvel cameos we may have just witnessed, and some other possible players that could surprise us by reappearing.
Oh, and before we get started, this is all speculation. So you Disney lawyers don’t need to worry about any impropriety. We are free of the metaphorical Bolivian Marching Powder here, friends!
The Two X-Men Cameos Seemingly Confirmed By Deadpool & Wolverine
The one shot that seems to hint at a huge cameo carnival in Deadpool & Wolverine is the screenshot above. With what looks like a temple built within a dead Ant-Man, there’s a line of characters who may or may not look familiar. Two of the easiest to seemingly identify are that of Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu) and Azazel (Jason Flemyng), who were last seen in X2: X-Men United and X-Men: First Class, respectively. So if you needed a reason to access your Disney+ subscription today, you’re welcome.
Right there, the threads of Deadpool & Wolverine seem to be pulling in the Marvel-adjacent films of the past rather tightly. As if the return of Aaron Stamford’s Pyro wasn’t enough of a suggestion that was going to happen, we now have two more players on the board.
Now sure, that could be chalked up to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine being present, and that’s a pretty big factor to keep in mind. But having said that, I think there’s some more potential for familiar faces from both sides of the MCU divide that could be returning.
What Other Non-MCU Characters Could Be Returning For Deadpool & Wolverine?
Let’s start with theorizing who could come back, ranging from the grounded to the most ridiculous. Honestly, the most grounded scenario I’m hoping for is that maybe Liev Schreiber’s Sabretooth from X-Men: Origins - Wolverine will be in play. Sabretooth is theorized to be appearing, and we don't know which form we should potentially expect. With that movie still being canon, and Schreiber having a role in an upcoming project Shawn Levy executive produced, the Netflix series The Perfect Couple, I like these odds the most.
That feels too safe though, doesn’t it? This is Deadpool & Wolverine, baby! Anarchy reigns here, and if they’re bringing in more Fox-era X-Men characters who else could they bring? Well, depending on how their schedules shook out, I’d love to think that maybe Nicholas Cage or Wesley Snipes could show up for the fun. Ghost Rider and Blade have barely been touched in the MCU, and that fact feels like a punchline waiting to happen. Also, if Jennifer Garner’s reportedly confirmed Elektra cameo is also allegedly on this list, the sky seems to be the limit.
I will throw out one final ridiculous theory for a Deadpool 3 cameo, and it all ties back to that Ant-Man shot previously mentioned. Take a look at the dude in the striped shirt standing next to who looks like Azazel. Is anyone else thinking Kevin Nash’s Russian from the Thomas Jane version of The Punisher might also be in play?
Not many people wear such boldly striped shirts in the world of Marvel movies, unless some random sailor on shore leave has been roped in to this wasteland. Wade Wilson has used stranger premises to deal with his grief in the past, so I wouldn't put it past him.
Other Familiar Faces And Places Potentially Looped Into Deadpool & Wolverine’s MCU
Returning to firmer ground in terms of MCU theory, there are quite a few outright suggestions for further Marvel Studios approved characters and entities to reappear. While we definitely know the TVA from Loki will be present, there’s also a possibility for a Sorcerer Supreme of some sort to be present.
At least, that intentionally blank sling ring portal Deadpool and Wolverine seem to jump through would indicate such a possibility. My guess would be that if we were to see anyone wielding that power, it'd be Wong (Benedict Wong). He's already appeared outside of his own franchise a couple of times, and Mr. Wong's association with the project would so perfectly align with his background in comedy. Plus, it basically writes a She-Hulk cancellation/fourth wall joke or two, when you really think about it.
Also, looking at what’s soon to become the infamous “Ant-Man Shot,” there’s someone pictured at the way left that looks like they could be Tessa Thompson’s King Valkyrie from the Thor movies. While this isn’t to suggest that she’s totally ditched ruling over New Asgard, this wouldn’t be out of character, as Valkyrie is always up for a good battle.
The Location That Ties Together This Deadpool & Wolverine Theory
Whether you take my supposedly craziest rantings above or the most logical and soundly backed guesses into consideration, there’s one thing that ties all of these potential Deadpool & Wolverine figures together: The Wasteland. We saw more of this setting in the new trailer above, and we’ve already known that this location is apparently where studios go to die/be rebranded in the MCU.
The Wasteland, if that is its real name, seems to be a hingepoint in “The Marvel Multiverse,” where the only restrictions on your resurrection are the writer’s imaginations and schedule flexibility. It’s this wild and wacky setting that we’re potentially seeing in our new Deadpool 3 trailer, and anything can and probably will happen there.
It’s all just best guesses and wishful thinking at this point, save for the examples that have been confirmed or have come close to being confirmed. That’s just the nature of the game that’s being played, and we’re all going to have to wait until the theatrical release of Deadpool & Wolverine to start getting those concrete answers. Which is only set to happen in roughly a mere three months, on July 26th.
So you’ll probably want to check the 2024 movie schedule to see what else is coming up in the immediate future in order to keep the entertainment going. Also, I don’t know about you, but I definitely could use some distractions from this rather dangerous MCU rabbit hole, lest I start to theorize why Loki’s Season 2 finale should be looped in as well. Maybe it's because heartbreak feels good in a place like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
