It’s been just over a month since the July release of Deadpool and Wolverine, the third and possibly final installment in the Deadpool movies. As always, this Deadpool film was a smash hit and opened with loving reviews from fans and critics alike.
Deadpool and Wolverine welcomes back Hugh Jackman in his iconic role, playing Logan AKA The Wolverine. Initially starting in 2000, Jackman has embodied Logan’s character for over 15 years. Essentially, this film was a long time coming. Between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s long time friendship and their previous appearance together in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”, this movie has been a work in progress for over a decade. Not only does this Deadpool installment pay homage to the Wolverine legacy, it also honors a forgotten era of Marvel movies that paved the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now, let’s discuss the cameos and callbacks throughout the film and how it ties back to the earliest Marvel movies. Be warned, there are spoilers ahead!
Deadpool and Wolverine opens with a slo-mo fight scene distinct to the Deadpool trilogy that immediately throws the audience into the plot. As usual, the fight scene is wonderfully choreographed and for some reason interwoven with NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” dance? It is revealed that Deadpool is at Logan’s grave, a direct reference to the 2017 film “Logan”, the most recent Wolverine appearance. (Logan is an extremely soul-crushing movie in which Logan tragically dies at the end, which is later explained in Deadpool and Wolverine.) Of course, Deadpool desecrates Logan’s makeshift grave and comically dishonors his symbolic death, representing the end of that X-Men era. And then, before the movie goers can turn to their friend and ask why Wolverine is dead, TVA portals open up!
Most would expect Deadpool to make his MCU connections through crossovers with his fellow New York heroes: Spider-man, Daredevil, or even the Avengers. And, while the Avengers are referenced in this movie, Deadpool makes his first MCU interactions with… the TVA from “Loki”? The Disney+ series seems to be at the opposite end of the spectrum from Deadpool, but I have no complaints.
Shortly after, Deadpool is searching for a suitable Wolverine and many comic variants of Wolverine are shown. The most popular of Deadpool’s encounters is not from an old comic reference, but rather a pop-culture moment that somehow had enough influence to make its way into this movie. That is, of course, the Cavillrine, a Henry Cavill depiction of Wolverine. This very brief cameo is a fun bit of fan service that gives the Deadpool movies their unique connection with the audience.
Later in the movie, Deadpool and Wolverine run into a group of opponents in the void. These characters, like Sabertooth, Pyro, and Toad, are all previous villains from X-Men films. The inclusion of these characters brings remembrance to the most forgotten parts of early era Marvel. The superheroes like Wolverine, Professor X, and Storm, are commonly recognized, but the villains? They are a collection of characters easily overlooked and now given a new chance to showcase themselves in this fun cameo.
In the same scene, Chris Evans’ portrayal of Johnny Storm gets his own spotlight. Arguably even more forgotten, the early 2000s Fantastic Four movies rolled out as one of the first Marvel films. Johnny Storm’s introduction was especially comedic because it was set up to make audiences anticipate Captain America. This diversion reflects how forgotten the early Fantastic Four movies have become as we only see Chris Evans for his role in the later Marvel Movies as Steve Rogers.
Later in the void, a team of heroes assist Deadpool and Wolverine in their travels. Their group consists of Jennifer Garner’s Elektra from the 2003's “Daredevil” and her 2005 standalone film; Wesley Snipes’ Blade from the late 90s / early 2000s films; Laura AKA X-23 from Logan; and Channing Tatum as Gambit. This collection of characters, new and old, are incredibly random. They range from failed movies to successful series and call back to more non-X-Men films that were forgotten with time. And while Laura isn’t yet from a “forgotten” movie, her inclusion in this movie is still a means of shedding light on “Logan” and extending her character beyond that film. Now that she has aged after the events of Logan, we get to see her interactions with another Wolverine variant that resembles her past protector.
Further in the movie, Deadpool and Wolverine come across a horde of Deadpools. Within this mass, there are countless comic references, niche Deadpool variants, and members of Ryan Reynolds’ family. Not only does Blake Lively, his wife, appear as Lady Deadpool, but the pair’s 7 year old daughter also voices Kidpool.
Finally, as the movie comes to a close and the credits begin to roll, a montage of past movie clips and BTS footage plays. Each clip displayed along to Green Day’s “Good Riddance” are from the early era Marvel films that were paid respects throughout the film. From a 2000 interview of Hugh Jackman during his first time playing Wolverine to footage of Jennifer Garner in the Daredevil movie to popular moments in X-Men movies, this montage features an extensive cast of superheroes and supervillains of the early 2000s and 2010s.
In a time where movies, especially Marvel movies, throw in cameo after cameo to excite the fans, Deadpool and Wolverine stands out. Every reference to a past Fox Marvel movie or series is made out of respect to the characters who came before and pays homage where it is owed.
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