Even before the full title of Deadpool 3 became public, fans were itching for spoilers.
After hefty mistakes with Secret Invasion and box office disappointments amidst the pandemic and strikes, the MCU has seemed to falter.
Deadpool & Wolverine, the third film in the series and the first following the merger that made it part of the MCU, could be part of restoring the magic of the MCU. (While Agatha All Along hopefully does the same for the streaming side of things)
Rumors and confirmed spoilers have circulated ahead of the Deadpool film’s release date.
‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ features plenty of returning stars
The third installment in the Deadpool film series will of course star Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular characters.
Deadpool and Wolverine are both long-established Marvel comics characters. Deadpool is a functionally immortal mercenary best known for breaking the Fourth Wall and crushing on Spider-Man.
Wolverine is perhaps the most recognizable member of the X-Men, one of Marvel Comics’ best properties. Hugh Jackman has embodied that role since the release of X-Men in 2000.
These characters are, on the surface, a pair of lethal and nearly-impossible-to-kill badasses. But their extremely different backstories and general vibes make for an ideal comedic duo. That’s what fans hope to see.
We’ll also of course see Morena Baccarin return as Vanessa. Leslie Uggams returns as Blind Al. Rob Delaney returns as Peter.
Brianna Hildebrand returns as Negasonic Teenage Warhead while Shioli Kutsuna returns as Yukio. Notably, these characters, who were dating during Deadpool 2, are both part of the X-Men — which was not, until very recently, part of the MCU despite being central to the heart of Marvel Comics.
Who’s are the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ newcomers?
Matthew Macfadyen, whom you might recognize from Succession, will be playing Paradox — who is apparently now heading the Time Variance Authority from Loki.
The most exciting new cast member is perhaps Emma Corrin. They portrayed Princess Diana on The Crown and did a fantastic job in the process.
In Deadpool & Wolverine, they’re portraying Cassandra Nova.
In X-Men comics, Cassandra Nova is an immensely powerful mutant who also despises all mutants. She takes this hatred to genocidal levels, initiating a Sentinel attack on Genosha that results in the slaughter of millions of mutants.
She is also Professor Charles Xavier’s evil fraternal twin. There’s some Shi’ar nonsense in the mix (literally don’t worry about it), but basically, as a fetus, Charles sensed the “evil” in his twin and strangled her in the womb. Eventually, she returns (classic comics nonsense) to try to destroy his dream of a better world.
Cassandra Nova is not one of comics’ proudest inventions. In general, she’s not a storyline that you’d want to see the MCU tackle in a serious light. But she is the sort of apocalyptic threat that fits perfectly in a Deadpool film. (X-Men ’97 could pull it off, but that’s pretty much the end of the list)
Will Sir Patrick Stewart appear in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ as Professor Charles Xavier?
It would admittedly be a little odd to have a Cassandra Nova story without her non-evil brother.
Professor X showing up is not like Emma Frost, who does meet Nova in comics (that’s how she received her organic diamond form in the Earth-616 continuity), where the meeting is optional. We’re talking about a good twin and an evil twin, here.
Ultimately, this is a film about Deadpool (and Wolverine). But it would be deeply weird if Charles didn’t show up. (Here’s where the Deadpool 3 spoilers really kick in, folks)
As far back as early 2023, Marvel told Sir Patrick Stewart to “standby” to film for Deadpool & Wolverine. This was around the time when they cast Emma Corrin after seeing their performance in Orlando.
Obviously, MCU rumors don’t always turn out to be true. And MCU casting can change pretty dramatically, especially that long before a release date.
No one’s spilling the beans on Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his role. However, it certainly appears that Professor X will make an appearance in some form.
Is ‘Deadpool 3’ good?
Eagle-eyed fans on Twitter have pointed out that there appears to be a wheelchair in at least one scene in the film. That’s just from the promotional material.
Obviously, it could be James McAvoy, even if that seems less likely. And none of that reveals whether Halle Berry will be reprising her role as Storm, as other rumors have suggested.
But, thus far, Deadpool & Wolverine seems to be getting solid reviews. No comics adaptation is going to make everyone happy, but it sounds like — with or without Deadpool 3 spoilers — early viewers are having a good time.
Deadpool & Wolverine releases on July 26.