‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameos Explained: From Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm to Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Check Out All Major Cameos in Hugh Jackman-Ryan Reynolds’ Film (SPOILER ALERT)

If you are someone who was worried the Deadpool & Wolverine trailers have spoilt some good cameos, fear not - they have also saved some of the best for the movie. Of course, we are going to spoil them here for those who may not have understood the significance of those cameos (that is, if someone coaxed Amitabh Bachchan to watch Deadpool & Wolverine). So, if you have not watched Deadpool & Wolverine yet and are planning to do so, please save yourself from SPOILERS and do not read ahead. Also, avoid the movie's Wikipedia page; the entire plot and the cameos are listed there as well. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Review: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s Fan-Pleasing Antics Ain’t Enough To Redeem Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Deadpool & Wolverine brings Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson, into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time while also bringing back Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, aka Logan, from the dead, albeit as a different variant. This is the first MCU film led by X-Men characters after Disney bought out 20th Century Fox, which had the rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four. Some characters had already appeared in cameos in a couple of past MCU movies, such as Patrick Stewart's Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Kelsey Grammer's Beast in The Marvels.

In this feature, we will discuss all the fan-pleasing cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine. This will not include the cameos already spoiled by the trailers, such as Aaron Stanford's Pyro, Dafne Keen's X-23, Wunmi Mosaku's Hunter B-15, and others. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’: From Dafne Keen’s X-23 to Wunmi Mosaku’s Hunter B-15, Major Cameos That Were Leaked by Trailers Before Marvel Movie’s Release.

So let's go...

Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan

Happy Hogan makes an appearance when Deadpool goes to Earth-616 to give an interview to join the Avengers back in 2018. His ribbing of Happy's promotion from being Tony Stark's chauffeur to managing Stark Enterprises and the Avengers Initiative, and that he has never been a team player (Deadpool 2's ending says otherwise), costs Deadpool a spot in the Avengers. Did he use Cable's time-travelling device to jump universes (Deadpool 2 is set in 2018 as well)? Considering the film later references the 2003 film Daredevil and even brings in Elektra, it is surprising Deadpool didn't make a joke about Favreau being in that movie.

Chris Hemsworth's Thor

When Deadpool is brought to the TVA by Paradox, the latter shows Wade previous footage from Avengers movies, which includes the Avengers themselves, while enticing Wade to join the 'Sacred Timeline.' Among those clips, he accidentally shows a scene from the future where Deadpool is dying in Thor's arms. It is definitely a repurposed scene from Thor: The Dark World with Deadpool replacing Loki (who, of course, is only faking his death).

The Hulk

While Deadpool goes Wolverine-hunting through various universes to find one to replace the dead one in his, he comes across various variants of Logan, most of whom are played by Jackman. In one universe, he lands right when Wolverine is about to fight the Hulk. Sadly for the fans, we only get a glimpse of the green giant and nothing of the fight. We don't even know which Bruce Banner it is - Bana, Norton, or Ruffalo. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Fact Check: BLACKPINK’s Jennie Kim, Emma Stone, Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger Cast As Deadpool Variants? Here’s Truth About Viral ‘Leaked’ Cast Credits.

Henry Cavill's Wolverine

As mentioned before, we get to see quite a few Wolverine variants, most of whom are played by Jackman. But there is one badass Wolverine played by a completely different actor - Henry Cavill! Not only is Deadpool surprised, so are we! So if Hugh Jackman thinks of hanging up his Wolverine claws for good, we do have a nice replacement for him.

Chris Evans' Johnny Storm/Human Torch

In what is the film's best cameo, Chris Evans returns to the MCU but to our and Deadpool's utter shock, he doesn't shout 'Avengers Assemble' when Wade and Logan meet him in the Void. Instead, he shouts 'Flame On!' and turns himself into a flaming ball of fire. Yes, the Evans we meet in Deadpool & Wolverine isn't our dear old Steve Rogers, but rather the first Marvel character he played - Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, in Tim Story's Fantastic Four duology. His fire powers, however, don't work on Pyro, leading to an embarrassing defeat. This Storm variant meets a hilarious yet grisly end when the Void mutants take him, Deadpool, and Wolverine in captivity to Cassandra Nova. Deadpool tells her that Johnny had said some explicit and choice abuses for her, which the latter vehemently denies, thus earning Nova's punishment. While Deadpool gets blamed by Logan for being responsible for Johnny's death, he uses the post-credit scene to show he wasn't lying. Still, Deadpool, no one likes a snitch!

Jennifer Garner's Elektra

Jennifer Garner first played Elektra Natchios in the 2003 film Daredevil, where her ex-husband Ben Affleck played the main lead. She even got a spinoff, Elektra, which came out in 2005. Both films aren't among Marvel fans' favourite movies. Garner returns in Deadpool & Wolverine as an Elektra variant dumped in the Void, who is part of the rebel alliance fighting against Cassandra Nova called 'The Others', which has three other members...

Wesley Snipes' Blade

...One of which is the return of this daywalker. Snipes' inclusion is quite a surprise here for two reasons. One, he infamously didn't get along with Ryan Reynolds during the shoot of Blade: Trinity, something which the actors even playfully acknowledge in the film. Two, it was inferred he was not happy the MCU was rebooting Blade with Mahershala Ali in the lead (though that project has been delayed for quite some time). Again, Snipes' Blade takes a dig at this, saying he is the only one to play Blade till now, to which Deadpool looks at the camera and gives a knowing glance. Wonder if this joke will stale like sour milk when Marvel finally makes Blade with Ali.

Channing Tatum's Gambit

Once upon a time, Fox had planned spinoffs of popular X-Men characters like Wolverine, Magneto, and Gambit, among others. However, only Wolverine managed to get three separate spinoffs for himself, not the rest (though Deadpool came out of nowhere in those plans thanks to Ryan Reynolds' persistent belief in the project). As for the Gambit spinoff, Channing Tatum, who was at the height of his popularity then thanks to Step Up, Magic Mike, and 21 Jump Street, was hired to play the lead. However, the project kept getting delayed and delayed before it was ultimately abandoned. Now, thanks to Deadpool & Wolverine, we finally get to see how Tatum's Gambit would have looked, and the character felt quite comic-accurate here, in his getup and the way he talks (much to Deadpool's annoyance). Gambit, Elektra, and Blade seemingly survived the attack at Cassandra Nova's 'Ant-Man' den, confirmed by the presence of X-23 (also part of 'The Others') in the final dinner table scene. So there is a possibility that we may see them in the future.

PS: We already had a big screen portrayal of Gambit before in X-Men: Origins - Wolverine, though he was played by a different actor - Taylor Kitsch. Since that movie starred Reynolds and Jackman, and Deadpool movies love to riff on it, it is strange Deadpool didn't make a joke about the change in casting here.

Blake Lively's Lady Deadpool

Deadpool & Wolverine features not just multiple Wolverine variants but also many Deadpool ones too. The trailers had already shown us Dogpool and Lady Deadpool, but the reason she makes this list is because, even though she is never unmasked, her voice and later the end-credits confirm she is played by Reynolds' wife, and our 'Gossip Girl', Blake Lively. She is not the only family member of the actor to play a Deadpool variant - Kidpool is played by their daughter Inez, while Babypool is played by their infant fourth child, Olin. Ryan himself has a dual role, one of course as the Deadpool we know, and the other being this unmasked 'nice guy' Deadpool, who calls himself Nicepool and retains the actor's handsome features along with long blonde hair.

Nathan Fillion's Headpool

Reynolds and his family members aren't the only ones playing Deadpool variants. The third act sees them and many other Deadpool variants,calling themselves Deadpool Corps, pouring out of a portal that connects the Void to Wade's universe with the intent of killing him and Logan. Two other Deadpool variants get talking lines - Headpool and Cowboy Deadpool. Headpool, who is basically just a floating zombified Deadpool skull, is voiced by Nathan Fillion, who loves to make crazy cameos in superhero movies, notably in Guardians of the Galaxy films and The Suicide Squad. As for Cowboy Deadpool...

Matthew McConaughey's Cowboy Deadpool

...that drawl in his voice is enough for his fans to recognise that Cowboy Deadpool is played by Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. For others, the end-credits confirm this.

Apart from these Marvel characters, there are others who get referenced throughout the film but are never shown. Some of the prominent ones are Tony Stark/Iron Man, Charles Xavier/Professor X, Daredevil, The Punisher, Magneto, Doctor Strange, Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic, Spider-Man (quite slyly without breaking the copyright agreement with Sony), Batman (wonder why copyright is never an issue when Deadpool trolls DC characters), Loki, Hawkeye, Beast, Scott Summers/Cyclops, Jean Grey, among others.

PS: Not a single reference or dig for Black Widow. Why is that so, Mr Reynolds, considering you even made a joke on Hugh Jackman's divorce?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 26, 2024 11:33 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).