Deadpool's MCU debut actually took place two months before the release of Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool and Wolverine brought the iconic Marvel antihero to the big screen for the first time for the MCU – but the character actually made his debut in the franchise before the film. Deadpool and WolverineThe star-studded cameos and talented cast combined with the compelling story make the film one of the biggest in the MCU timeline, once again breaking the billion-dollar box office mark for the franchise. With Deadpool and Wolverine The film is the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time and its importance to the superhero genre is clear, being credited for bringing Deadpool into the MCU.

While this is true for theatrical releases, it is worth noting that Deadpool did make a cameo appearance in the MCU prior to this point. However, it is one that even major MCU fans may find hard to find, although this detail only makes it more interesting. This is especially true given the pre-Deadpool and Wolverine Cameo has direct ties to the 2024 Marvel film itself.

Related

The end of Deadpool and Wolverine explained

The ending of Deadpool & Wolverine is full of multiversal interludes, insane cameos, and big hints about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Deadpool appeared in the MCU in “What If?” An immersive story before Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool appears in one ending of the What If? VR story

Before Deadpool and WolverineThe iconic Marvel antihero actually appeared in the MCU What if? A captivating story. The release is a Disney+ original story that can be experienced through VR – more specifically on Apple Vision Pro, which means fewer people have seen the storyline than the rest of the Disney+ What if…? Series due to their specific requirements.

Deadpool appears in one of the endings of What if? A captivating storyin which the Time Variance Authority mascot and the semi-terrifying anthropomorphic clock Miss Minutes appears to accept you into the group and allow you to continue to exist. During this sequence Miss Minutes presents the viewer with her “new employee“, who is none other than Deadpool – and which includes a short monologue about what to expect from their collaboration, and is full of conventional, charged antihero comedy.

Deadpool's “What If?” debut gave a taste of his MCU film history

Deadpool's “What If?” cameo is apparently seen in Deadpool and Wolverine's TVA office

Interestingly What if? A captivating story Cameo is in live action and appears in Deadpool and Wolverine's own TVA base. This makes the matter particularly remarkable, since while the Deadpool and Wolverine Trailers had already hinted at this location, and the decision ties Ryan Reynolds' character even more closely into the MCU.

The fact that What if? A captivating story has Reynolds' Deadpool as the viewer's TVA colleague, which gives the part direct parallels to Deadpool and Wolverinein which Mr. Paradox initially attempts to recruit Wade Wilson into his subdivision of the TVA, but Deadpool turns against him when he discovers that the agent is trying to hasten the destruction of the antihero's home universe. At the end of the film, Deadpool is praised by TVA agent Hunter B-15 for his efforts to save Earth-10005, and Paradox is taken away for his illegal manipulation of the timelines.

While the What if? A captivating story Deadpool and the movie Deadpool seem a little different at first, Deadpool and Wolverine Ending with the prospect of Deadpool working with the TVA in the future suggests that these two versions of the character may well be one and the same. This could be particularly promising for the character's future, as it could see him engage even more in the meta-commentary and jokes that Deadpool has long been known for.

Related

Deadpool & Wolverine: 100 Marvel Easter Eggs & References Explained

Deadpool & Wolverine has literally over 100 different Easter eggs, references, and cameos galore. Here are all the ones we found.

Deadpool's “What If?” Cameo Makes Deadpool and Wolverine Even Better

Deadpool's cameo brings him further into the MCU

Deadpool and Wolverine certainly has crossovers with the MCU, but this is done in a more downplayed way than was perhaps previously expected. Chris Hemsworth's Thor has a cameo, but only on one of the TVA screens in archive footage, and Chris Evans plays the Human Torch in his appearance, not Steve Rogers. Therefore, Deadpool's crossover into the overarching MCU story – even if it happens in a lesser-known release – still helps ensure that the character is integrated into the overall framework of the larger franchise.

This also helps set the right tone for Deadpool’s inclusion in the MCU for possible future appearances after Deadpool and Wolverineas the antihero's inherently R-rated antics are relatively absent here, even as Wade tries to solicit a tryst with the viewer. The opportunity to test out how to use Deadpool without either completely watering him down or making him R-rated could prove useful as the main MCU timeline continues, as a return of Deadpool in Avengers: Endgame or Avengers: Secret Wars A careful balance must be found.

Deadpool and Wolverine

A sequel to the hugely successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films, starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth, the third film will be the first in the series to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

Release date

July 26, 2024

Pour

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Matthew Macfadyen, Brianna Hildebrand, Shioli Kutsuna, Stefan Kapicic, Lewis Tan, Randal Reeder, Jennifer Garner, Aaron Stanford, Billy Clements, Ollie Palmer , Chris Hemsworth, Rob McElhenney

Expand

Upcoming MCU Movies