Deadpool & Wolverine had a whole group of other characters on the board for potential appearances before being scrapped from the threequel's final cut.
Even after so many leaked pictures and videos, Deadpool 3 was chock full of major spoilers in terms of cast members. From Wesley Snipes' Blade to Channing Tatum's Gambit, Ryan Reynolds' first MCU movie explored various corners of the Marvel multiverse to deliver a thrilling and hilarious story.
Due to this film being deeply embedded in the Multiverse Saga, many were still expecting even more wild Variants to show up next to the Merc with a Mouth. While the cameos were held back to some extent, Marvel Studios made sure its big board had no shortage of options for crazy characters to possibly include.
Every Character Scrapped from Final Cut of Deadpool 3
Ghost Rider (Nicolas Cage)
Since Phase 4, almost no character has been more talked about for a comeback than Nicolas Cage's Ghost Rider. Following two solo movies in 2007 and 2011, he has been in talks for an MCU debut for years; reports even indicated a Ghost Rider scene was even cut from 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Cage's iconic Marvel character did come up in conversations between Reynolds and the crew during production. However, when asked if the Ghost Rider star was pursued (per Variety), Reynolds set the records straight by saying, "Yes. Came to a conversation for sure. Yeah, but no."
Daredevil (Ben Affleck)
While Jennifer Garner's Elektra was part of Deadpool 3's cast, the threequel, at one point, was going to include her Hell's Kitchen partner, Ben Affleck's Daredevil.
As writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick explained to IndieWire, "Daredevil we wanted... At some point, Ben was on the list." However, Affleck was never asked to be in the movie, as Reese noted that it never "came into script pages:"
"Did we want to get Ben? We never asked Ben though, I don’t think. He was on the list, but I don’t think it ever came into script pages or actually asking him."
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)
In the same IndieWire interview, Reese and Wernick revealed they had reached out to MCU icon Robert Downey Jr. to reprise his role as Iron Man in Deadpool 3. His appearance was meant to be in the film's early stages as Wade met with Happy Hogan at the Avengers facility, with Tony Stark being in that same meeting.
Interestingly, Downey turned down the chance to return as Iron Man in that scene, which was one of multiple potential scenes written including his fan-favorite hero. Also of note is that Deadpool 3 was released the same weekend as San Diego Comic-Con 2024, where Downey was confirmed to play the MCU's Doctor Doom.
TVA Agent (Rob McElhenney)
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenny came close to appearing in Deadpool 3, filming a scene as a TVA agent in the Void. Unfortunately, while McElhenny's character appeared for a split second in the movie's first trailer, he was axed from the final cut of the movie.
Speaking with Variety, Reynolds admitted he was "mortified" to cut this scene, as he and McElhenny have a friendship and business relationship as co-owners of the Wrexham AFC football team. He shared how much this moment stressed him out but expressed gratitude to his friend for showing up.
Bedlam (Terry Crews)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews enjoyed a small role in Deadpool 2 as Bedlam, a member of Deadpool's X-Force team who could distort electrical energy. Sadly, the mutant was brutally killed on the team's first mission as he crashed into a bus while only Deadpool and Domino survived.
Speaking with ComicBook, Crews revealed there were talks for him to return for Deadpool 3, but "it didn't work out" for the MCU sequel. However, he remains open to the potential of reprising his role in a future Marvel outing.
Nick Fury (David Macdonald)
As shown in a behind-the-scenes photo, stunt performer David Macdonald suited up as a multiversal version of Nick Fury for potential scenes in the Void. He was seen next to the actors playing Toad, Azazel, Psyloche, and more while donning a black leather get-up and an eye patch.
Sadly, this character was not seen in the final cut of Deadpool 3 as the battle scenes in Ant-Man Arena ensued. He would have been the second actor to play Nick Fury in the MCU after Samuel L. Jackson.
Wolverinepool
Concept artist David Masson shared a piece of concept art on Instagram teasing an unused Deadpool Variant called "Wolverinepool." This introduced a take on Deadpool who wore a red suit similar to that of Wolverine, complete with wings from his cowl and the antihero's classic adamantium claws.
This Variant likely would have come into the movie as part of the Deadpool Corps during the threequel's final battle. Unfortunately, this Logan/Wade Wilson combination never saw the light of day.
Punkpool
Masson shared an image of another Deadpool Variant on Instagram named "Punkpool," bringing a punk-style look for the Merc with a Mouth. Along with the classic Deadpool masks, spikes are seen on the top of it along with a leather vest, plaid pants, and a t-shirt with a Deadpool logo on it styled as a painting.
Punkpool became another Deadpool Variant who was cut from the movie, as was Wolverinepool before him.
Mephisto
Almost no character has been more discussed for an MCU debut than Mephisto, particularly since the start of the Multiverse Saga. Marvel's take on the devil was even mentioned by name in Agatha All Along, further pushing speculation as to when he would arrive.
Speaking with Collider, Reynolds and director Shawn Levy teased that they flirted with the idea of having Mephisto in the movie as the main villain. Eventually, Emma Corrin's Cassandra Nova took that position.
Fant4stic Cast
Ryan Reynolds told Collider that there were early plans to include the cast of 2015's Fan4stic in Deadpool 3, using characters like Miles Teller's Reed Richards and Michael B. Jordan's Johnny Storm. This would have been a second nod to Marvel's First Family along with Chris Evans' portrayal of Johnny Storm.
Reynolds explained that this choice was made to "be mindful of the budget," understanding that the team did not have "a blank check." The film's star did not want to go overboard on that front, leading to the choice to keep Evans as the only Fantastic Four-related character in the movie.
Baby Wolverine
As shared in Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine: The Art of the Movie book, another Wolverine Variant on the table for Deadpool 3 was the tiny infant known as Baby Wolverine. This Variant wore the original brown-and-tan Logan costume seen on Hugh Jackman earlier in the movie, complete with a black and tan cowl.
Hulkverine
Also seen in the Deadpool & Wolverine: The Art of the Movie book was a version of the clawed mutant called Hulkverine.
This Variant has the body of Marvel's classic Incredible Hulk while also boasting the same adamantium claws seen on other versions of Wolverine. He even had the same hairstyle, complete with mutton chops which are usually missing from the Hulk's face.
BONUS: She-Hulk
Thanks to a quote from Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast by Tatiana Maslany, a rumor spread online that she was set for a role as She-Hulk in Deadpool 3. After rumors teased her inclusion in the film, she joked that she did two scenes for it that were cut before Reynolds fired her before she claimed she was "suing Disney."
While these comments were made in jest, the internet took them out of context as many believed Maslany was in the movie and that she was angry at Disney for cutting her. None of those reports were true as Maslany was never part of Deadpool 3's cast, leaving many wondering when she will return.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now streaming on Disney+.
