Ever since fans learned that Deadpool & Wolverine would be canon to the MCU, the assumption was that it would be filled with spoiler-y cameos and callbacks from both the MCU and the Fox Marvel movies.
After early screenings of the movie, this has been confirmed as entirely accurate, with some major spoilers and surprises in the movie that did not even seem like realistic possibilities to many fans walking into theaters
Of course, Deadpool & Wolverine comes on the heels of other Marvel movies full of fan service crossing the borders of studio ownership over certain characters, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness.
Now, fans are excited to see how well Deadpool & Wolverine stacks up.
Every Cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine (MCU and Fox Marvel Movies)
Warning: The rest of this article contains major spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine, including surprise cameos and specific plot points.
Deadpool & Wolverine truly lived up to the cameo hype, providing a wide range of spoilery cameos — from major, to minor, to even just name drops.
The trailers revealed a few of these ahead of time, including major cameos from Dafne Keene's Laura Kinney/X-23 from Logan, Wunmi Mosaku's Hunter B-15 and the foggy villain Alioth from Loki, and Aaron Stanford's Pyro from the Fox Marvel movies.
However, these reveals were just the beginning.
Happy Hogan
The earliest of the big cameos, Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan, shows up within the first 20 minutes of Deadpool & Wolverine. In an attempt to try and feel like he matters — one that Happy tries to show Wade is somewhat misguided — Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) tries to get recruited into the Avengers.
Happy tries to explain that being an Avenger is not about feeling like you matter, but about actually caring about something more than himself. He encourages Deadpool to strive for mediocrity to avoid disappointment.
While saying this, he shows off several mementos from the MCU representing how Iron Man learned a similar lesson.
These include "Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart" (originally from Iron Man), and the photo of Tony and Peter Parker (with the constantly-in-ownership-limbo-Spider-Man half conveniently hidden) that inspired the former to figure out the secret to time travel in Avengers: Endgame.
Johnny Storm
Audiences and Deadpool alike were treated to a good old-fashioned bait-and-switch with the appearance of Chris Evans in The Void. Of course, most expected Captain America — including Wade, who was ready to hear the iconic "Avengers Assemble" right along with the audience.
Hearing him yell "Flame On!" and revealing himself to be Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four (reprising his role in the Fox franchise) felt pretty... fantastic.
Deadpool is made to feel terribly guilty through the whole movie for seemingly making up terrible, dirty things that Johnny "allegedly" said about villain Cassandra Nova, leading to his gruesome death in The Void.
But, as any Johnny Storm fan who knows that the Human Torch is a motormouth who can hold up regular banter with Spider-Man could have guessed, he did say all those things, as was revealed in the movie's post-credits scene.
Sabertooth
As more residents of The Void began introducing themselves, one early set leak came to fruition — Tyler Mane's Sabertooth.
As Deadpool noted, the full-on Sabertooth and Wolverine-in-a-comic-accurate-suit fight was one fans spent decades waiting for. So, the villain's pretty abrupt decapitation may have given audiences some feeling of whiplash.
Still, fans likely enjoyed seeing the iconic villain from 2000's X-Men come back to the screen, with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, at that.
Juggernaut + Nova's Hench-Mutants
One of the most prominent of Cassandra Nova's hench-mutants, Juggernaut actually has a pretty significant role in the movie's plot thanks to his helmet.
When Juggernaut first appears among Cassandra Nova's other hench-mutants, Deadpool remarks that this is clearly "this year's" version of the character. This is seemingly a reference to the fact that Cain Marko has been played by various actors over the years — including Reynolds himself in Deadpool 2.
Regardless of which version he is, his helmet is how Deadpool, Wolverine, and the team of Fox heroes (to be discussed shortly) plan to trap Cassandra Nova and bring the two heroes home.
Additionally, many of the other characters working for Cassandra Nova in The Void are familiar Marvel cameos. Early trailers revealed that some such cameos would be Azazel, Lady Deathstrike, Toad, and Callisto, but the movie added several others to the list, including Juggernaut and seemingly Psylocke.
Elektra
Deadpool and Wolverine make it to the borderlands, and come across a group of four heroes, one of whom is Keene's X-23 as discussed earlier, who are among the last remnants of their individual universes.
The first of these familiar heroes was Jennifer Garner's Elektra — a cameo first reported just over a year before the movie's release. Garner last played the character in 2005's Elektra after introducing her to the big screen in 2003's Daredevil.
She — like the other Fox Marvel characters to appear in this scene — was sent to The Void by the TVA before the complete destruction of her universe, and she has been hiding there ever since.
Blade
Next to appear was Wesley Snipes as Blade. This reveal is shocking for a wide variety of reasons, not least of which is the fact that, like Garner, Snipes is returning to play the half-vampire, half-mortal vampire slayer for the first time in 20 years.
During the fight for Juggernaut's helmet, Blade (with some help from Deadpool) unknowingly references one of the other main reasons why Snipes' appearance in the movie is so exciting for fans: the MCU's upcoming Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali.
With a confirmed reboot on the way, fans got the chance to say goodbye to the Blade that started it all back in 1998.
On top of that is the infamously contentious relationship between Snipes and Reynolds. They teamed up in 2004's Blade Trinity (the last film to feature Snipes' Blade before Deadpool & Wolverine) but did not get along behind the scenes.
Each actor has indicated dislike toward the other over the years since, and many believed the two would never work together again.
Not only do they share the screen in Deadpool & Wolverine — for multiple scenes, at that — but they do so with Snipes reprising the role he played when the contention first began two decades earlier.
Gambit
Whereas most of the cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine bring actors back to roles they played years, even decades, prior, the appearance of Gambit, played by Channing Tatum, as the third hero to appear in the borderlands is a bit different.
In 2014, it was announced that Tatum would be starring as the titular Cajun mutant in an upcoming X-Men spin-off, Gambit. Following five years of issue-riddled development, though, Disney canceled the project after acquiring 20th Century Fox in 2019.
Many were disappointed that the movie would never come to fruition, including Tatum himself. He even expressed interest in returning to the character in the MCU in 2022.
Luckily, Tatum got his chance to wear the trench coat and throw around explosive playing cards in Deadpool & Wolverine, and fans got a chance to see a glimpse of what could have been.
A lot of Gambit's screen time in the movie involves him speaking gibberish in a Cajun accent, or remarking that he has no idea where he came from (referring to the fact that the character did not come from any movie that was actually made).
Still, Gambit fans can at least get a taste of what could have been if the movie was dealt a different hand.
Thor, Hulk, and Other Avengers
While the biggest cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine were characters from the Fox Marvel movies of the late '90s and early 2000s, the MCU had its fair share too.
When Deadpool first visits the TVA, he encounters several screens playing clips from different Marvel movies. One particularly eye-catching screen shows the iconic shot circling the six original Avengers during the Battle of New York, and Deadpool himself is particularly excited to see clips of Captain America.
However, the screen that gets the most attention is one showing a crying Thor holding Deadpool in his arms. It turns out that this is actually Loki's fake death scene in Thor: The Dark World, just with Deadpool replacing the god of mischief.
It appears, though, that the footage used, featuring Chris Hemsworth as Thor, is taken right from the Phase 2 movie.
Additionally, Deadpool actually does encounter the Hulk for real, not through a TVA television, while Wade searches the multiverse for a version of Wolverine to be his universe's replacement anchor being.
One of the Wolverines he comes across in his search is actually fighting the Hulk, recreating the cover of the first comic Wolverine ever appeared in, Incredible Hulk #181.
Wolverine Variants
Speaking of Wade's search for Wolverine, there are many Wolverine variants who make short cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Some such variants include one whose height is comic-accurate (as in, far shorter than Hugh Jackman), one resembling Old Man Logan from the comics, one played by popular Wolverine fan cast Henry Cavill, and many more.
Deadpool Variants
Deadpool & Wolverine also features many different Deadpool variants. Near the middle of the movie, Deadpool meets Dogpool (also known as Mary Puppins) and Nicepool (an aggressively Canadian Deadpool variant with long hair and no facial damage, who can lightly interact with the fourth wall).
Nicepool mentions other Variants who do appear later on in the movie, including Lady Deadpool (who, despite the particular hype surrounding who would play her, never actually takes off her mask, but is voiced very briefly by Blake Lively), Kidpool, and Baby Deadpool.
Other Variants who appear in the big battle between the Deadpool fans know and Wolverine, and the army of Deadpool variants, include Cowboypool (voiced by Matthew McConaughey), Headpool, and many others.
Additional Name Drops
Some other big names were mentioned in the movie, too, even though they did not actually appear.
Johnny Storm mentions "Reed" offhandedly — of course a reference to Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. Presumably, this is the version played by Ioan Gruffudd, who appeared in Fantastic Four (2005) along with Evans' Human Torch.
In the scene where Deadpool and Wolverine meet Elektra, Blade, Gambit, and Laura, it is revealed that Magneto had been there once, before being killed by Cassandra Nova.
The same scene also reveals that Daredevil (presumably the version played by Ben Affleck alongside Garner's Elektra), the Punisher (though it is unclear which version), and Quicksilver (presumably the Fox version played by Evan Peters) all faced similar fates, too.
Other joke namedrops include Hawkeye, Paul Rudd, Kevin Feige, and Batman, among many others.
Biggest Plot Spoilers in Deadpool & Wolverine
Beyond cameos, there are other major reveals throughout Deadpool & Wolverine, some of which with larger implications for the MCU as a whole.
616 as The Sacred Timeline
While not as major as many other entries on this list, it is worth noting that early in the movie, the Sacred Timeline is labeled in a title card as 616.
This designation is not entirely new, with similar references cropping up in MCU movies and shows like Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness and Loki.
Still, it goes against Marvel Comics, which labels its main universe as 616, and the MCU as 199999 (a designation also used for the MCU in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse).
Anchor Beings
Matthew Macfadyen's Mr. Paradox explains to Deadpool that his universe is being slowly destroyed following the death of Wolverine (as depicted in Logan), as he was that universe's Anchor Being — as is the case with any universe after the death of its Anchor Being.
Deadpool & Wolverine marks the concept's introduction in the MCU.
Rogue TVA Agents Pruning Timelines
The end of Loki Season 2 saw Loki sacrifice himself and take on his role from the comics as the God of Stories, watching over the multiverse and ensuring that there no longer needs to be any pruning of timelines.
Despite this, some rogue TVA agents like Mr. Paradox still prune timelines, seeing it as a more efficient solution.
By the end of the movie, it is unclear whether other similar secret pruning operations were being run without the TVA's knowledge, or if Mr. Paradox's was the only one.
Cassandra Nova (and Many Fox Marvel Characters) Have Been in The Void All Along
Cassandra Nova reveals that she has been living in (and eventually ruling over) The Void for essentially her entire life, and she has not been alone either.
As the universes depicted in many Fox Marvel movies were pruned by the TVA, certain individuals — often those who would try to fight the destructions of their universes — were sent to The Void.
Some, like Juggernaut, ended up working for Cassandra Nova (who has a deal with Alioth that prevents her and those loyal to her from being food for the monster) in exchange for their survival.
Others, like Elektra and X-23, refuse to work with her and then spend their lives in The Void hiding from Cassandra Nova and Alioth, hoping simply to survive another day in the universe's supposed junkyard.
Wolverine's Backstory + Suit
As was revealed in early set photos, and as has been highlighted in much of the movie's marketing, Deadpool & Wolverine marks the first time Hugh Jackman's Logan wears a comic-accurate Wolverine suit.
In the movie itself, the suit holds a far deeper meaning than just protective armor or fan service. Throughout Deadpool & Wolverine, there are various references to the Wolverine Deadpool picks up from the Multiverse being "the worst Wolverine."
It is eventually revealed that Logan felt such a need to be constantly alone that he ignored screams and did not help as mutants were being attacked and killed.
Then, he came across the dead bodies of the X-Men and just started killing anyone out of grief, regret, and anger. He revealed that he wears the classic suit as a reminder of his mistakes.
By the end of the movie, though, as Logan seeks internal redemption and a second chance, the suit becomes something he can be somewhat more proud of. It becomes a reminder of why he does what he needs to do. And that makes its full reveal all the more exciting.
While the yellow costume has not been kept a secret, the fact that it includes the full comic-accurate helmet and cowl (with the ears) was kept relatively quiet (though eagle-eyed fans caught it in some early merch) until the movie's climax.
This marks the first time a live-action Wolverine is shown with the full, comic-accurate, iconic Wolverine look.
Deadpool and Wolverine Both Making the Sacrifice Play + Surviving
At the end of the movie, in order to prevent Cassandra Nova from taking control of the Time Ripper and wielding massive power over the multiverse, Deadpool and Wolverine learn that one of them must grab hold of its circuit, which in turn melds matter and anti-matter together within their body, ultimately killing them.
Both titular heroes were willing to make the sacrifice play, fighting over who should be the one to actually do it. After Deadpool starts on his own, Logan literally claws his way to the Time Ripper too, and joins Deadpool in keeping the circuit closed.
With both of them enduring the matter and anti-matter, the would-be-fatal forces dispersed between them both, meaning neither endured enough of the energy to actually kill even just one of them.
Ultimately, they are able to save the day and walk out together. Though Wolverine was at first not quite so willing to agree to future team-ups, Deadpool seems to have talked him into it, if the family meal at the end of the movie featuring them both is any indication.
Montage in the Credits
During Deadpool & Wolverine's credits, audiences are treated to a montage of moments behind the scenes of the Fox Marvel movies. It was always known that Deadpool & Wolverine would be an homage in some form to the Fox movies, and this montage proves it.
Set to "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day, the montage includes footage from set, interview clips, and other behind-the-scenes shenanigans in what appears to be a final goodbye to this universe of movies.
Deadpool In The TVA?
Though Deadpool and Wolverine do not seem to end the movie within the MCU's timeline, they do seem to have easy access to the TVA, as Deadpool uses its facilities to prove to audiences that Johnny Storm did say all the things he was accused of.
With that and the fact that B-15 told Deadpool and Wolverine that she thinks their work is just getting started in mind, it seems plausible that Deadpool and Wolverine will be able to jump into and out of the MCU, depending on where they are needed. However, this is not stated explicitly.
Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on Friday, July 26.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
