Deadpool & Wolverine: Everything we know about the MCU movie

In retrospect, we should have suspected that Deadpool & Wolverine wouldn’t keep its most famous co-star out of the title. In 2022, Ryan Reynolds coaxed Hugh Jackman into reprising his role as Wolverine for the first time since 2017’s Logan. Once that happened, the name Deadpool 3 didn’t fully convey how monumental this film would be.

So Marvel Studios has officially retitled it as Deadpool & Wolverine. Jackman has also humorously rebranded the film as Wolverine & [expletive], which would make this R-rated flick a lot harder to market!

Now that we’ve received our first look at Deadpool & Wolverine, we’re sharing what we know about the cast, release date, and the film’s plot.

Is there a trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine?

Yes, the first full trailer has arrived, and it’s an R-rated preview of what’s to come. Curiously, Wolverine doesn’t seem to recognize Deadpool at the beginning of the trailer. But that doesn’t stop Deadpool from attempting to “convince” Wolverine to join him … with some minor shooting, stabbing, and punching along the way. It’s a far cry from the first teaser that debuted during the Super Bowl, which didn’t feature any full clips of Wolverine at all.

The original teaser did feature several returning characters from the first two Deadpool movies as the title character was abducted from his home and forcibly recruited to the Time Variance Authority, the organization that made its MCU debut in Loki.

Jackman’s Wolverine was only briefly seen from behind, but the teaser’s closing moments show off a good idea of how the title characters will respond to each other when Wolverine pops his claws to “help” Deadpool get up.

But with the film nearing its release, Deadpool and Wolverine have starred in a new, expletive-laden PSA telling theatergoers to silence their phones. This has ironically caused more buzz from audiences excited to see the duo’s film.

Are there posters for Deadpool & Wolverine?

Shortly after the first teaser dropped, Marvel also released the first poster for the film.

Following the arrival of the second trailer, Marvel released three new posters. First, there’s the more Deadpool-centric poster.

Since Jackman’s character is co-headlining the movie, it just wouldn’t do to let Wolverine go without a poster of his own.

Finally, the third poster is a bit suggestive. But it is also a callback to one of the movie posters for Logan where Wolverine’s clone daughter, Laura/X-23, held his hand.

When does Deadpool & Wolverine come out?

Filming for Deadpool & Wolverine began in May 2023 before coming to a halt in July due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. It resumed production in November 2023, and it’s now set to meet its July 26, 2024 release date.

At long last, Reynolds announced that filming for this threequel has wrapped with the suggestive Instagram post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds)

One can’t help but shed a tear seeing this. This is certainly a heartfelt conclusion for those involved in the production, especially given the challenges they faced to make this film.

Previously, Deadpool & Wolverine had been scheduled for fall 2024 before moving up to May 3, 2024, in June 2023, a month before the actors’ strike began. Finally, in early November, days before the actors’ strike ended, Disney moved Deadpool & Wolverine to its current release date, allowing the team more time to finish the film.

Though the movie is only weeks away, Marvel Studios has reportedly started reshoots that will last until the end of May. It has also been rumored that these reshoots will add more cameos to the film (as if there weren’t enough already).

Who is in Deadpool & Wolverine?

Reynolds is obviously coming back as the Merc with a Mouth. In September 2022, Reynolds announced that Jackman was returning as Wolverine for the threequel, even though that character died in 2017’s Logan. The video caused a stir among fans and immediately cemented the film as one of Marvel’s hottest upcoming movies.

Joining Reynolds and Jackman are The Crown’s Emma Corrin, who will play a major villain confirmed to be Cassandra Nova, and Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen as a “third wheel” character to Deadpool & Wolverine. Returning actors from the franchise’s previous entries include Morena Baccarin and Stefan Kapicic as Vanessa and the voice of Colossus, respectively, and Brianna Hildebrand and Shioli Kutsuna as Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Yukio, respectively. Rob Delaney, who appeared in Deadpool 2 as Peter, X-Force’s only human member, is also set to return.

In July 2023, it was reported that Jennifer Garner would play Elektra again in Deadpool & Wolverine, although the actress denied the rumor during interviews for her Netflix movie Family Switch. Leaked set photos from December 2023 hint that the characters Sabretooth and Toad will return for the film, although it’s still unknown if X-Men’s Tyler Maine and Ray Park will return to play them, respectively. However, Aaron Stanford does reprise his role as Pyro in the film’s trailer, so it seems likely that audiences will see him with the rest of the Brotherhood of Mutants.

For those hoping to see Vinnie Jones reprise his role as the supervillain Juggernaut from X-Men: The Last Stand, there is some unfortunate news. Jones claims to have turned down Marvel’s offer to play Juggernaut again due to the “mental toll” he suffered from wearing his helmet-heavy costume in The Last Stand.

The latest trailer revealed that Cassandra Nova is using Ant-Man’s giant-sized skeleton as her headquarters. It also appears that she’s gathered some of the villains from the previous X-Men movies, including Lady Deathstrike from X2: X-Men United and Azazel from X-Men: First Class. However, it’s unclear if Kelly Hu or Jason Flemyng are reprising their respective roles.

As for the rest of the evil mutants, it’s harder to tell who they are from a distance. But eagle-eyed fans believe that Calisto and Toad are among the bad guys to the left of Lady Deathstrike.

Are other X-Men going to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine? And what about that Taylor Swift rumor?

Karan Soni, who plays Deadpool’s friend and chauffeur, Dopinder, teased that there will be many surprise cameos in the film. “Let’s just say a lot of people traveled to London,” he said. While the studio has been good at keeping these big secrets, rumors have stated that Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen will return to play the Storm, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Professor X, and Magneto, respectively.

Not only that, Channing Tatum is rumored to appear in the film as the fan-favorite mutant Gambit, a role he previously was to play in the character’s canceled solo film. Likewise, Taylor Swift has allegedly signed up to play either the singing hero Dazzler or Lady Deadpool, a variant of the Merc With a Mouth. However, recent rumors suggest Swift will instead portray the Blonde Phantom in the MCU in a project produced by Scarlett Johannsen.

Nevertheless, if the rumors about the movie are true, this threequel is looking to be the most star-studded superhero film since Avengers: Endgame.

Ryan Reynolds recently spoke to Fandango to give his sly answer to all these cameo rumors. “There’s so much speculation about so many people that might end up in the film,” he said. “I saw one that was convinced that Elvis is in the movie. Anything can happen, and that’s sort of what I love about this universe. Surprises are the essence of Deadpool.”

A classic X-Men villain returns

A month out from the film’s release Marvel has revealed that Tyler Mane is reprising his role as Sabretooth from the original X-Men movie that was released in 2000. Although Sabretooth is Wolverine’s primary nemesis in the comics, Mane did not return for any of the previous sequels. Liev Schreiber played a younger Sabretooth in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was also the first film that featured Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool.

The new mini trailer from Deadpool & Wolverine reveals that Sabretooth is essentially a henchman for Cassandra Nova.  He’s also more talkative than in his previous appearance 24 years ago. Regardless, Wolverine and Sabretooth are finally getting their live-action rematch.

Lady Deadpool and X-23 teased in final trailer

Not every cameo has been saved for the theaters. Deadpool & Wolverine’s final trailer featured cameos from Lady Deadpool and X-23. Lady Deadpool had been teased in an earlier trailer, but this was the first time fans saw her entire form with long blonde hair. Lady Deadpool is allegedly a variant of Wade Wilson, with many guessing Swift or Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, as the actress playing the role.

The other cameo belongs to Wolverine’s daughter, X-23/Laura. Dafne Keen reprises her role as Laura from Logan. In the footage, Laura is speaking with Wolverine, though not the one she knew in Logan. Jackman plays a variant of Wolverine in the film.

Chris Hemsworth weighs in on Thor’s cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine

Chris Hemsworth didn't know about Thor showing up in the Deadpool & Wolverine trailers (or the movie at all, really)! pic.twitter.com/uBNveREKTb

— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) May 11, 2024

At CinemaCon 2024, Marvel revealed new footage from Deadpool & Wolverine. One of the scenes featured a cameo by Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth. The archival footage came from Thor: The Dark World, with Hemsworth’s Thor interacting with Deadpool, who digitally replaced Loki (Tom Hiddleston). While promoting Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Hemsworth explained his excitement for the surprise appearance.

“It’s really cool,” Hemsworth told ComicBook.com about Thor’s cameo. “You kind of forget and be like, ‘Oh, cool! I’m part of the team. They’re talking about me!’ when I’m not in it. I mean, that whole world is really cool to be a part of, and any time each other… I think it’s what makes it all really cool is the interconnected nature of it.”

What is Deadpool & Wolverine about?

The film’s NSFW synopsis reads:

“Marvel Studios presents their most significant mistake to date — Deadpool & Wolverine. A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life. His days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. When his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctantlier… reluctanter? Reluctantest? He must convince a reluctant Wolverine to – F***. Synopses are so f***ing stupid.”

The film is meant to be Deadpool’s introduction to the MCU, with writer Rhett Reese describing it as a “fish-out-of-water” situation where they’re dropping “a lunatic into a very sane world.” Fans have long wondered how Reynolds’ wisecracking, vulgar, fourth-wall-breaking mercenary would fit into the MCU, and by the looks of it, Deadpool & Wolverine will have a ball with the possibilities.

Based on leaked photos and cast confirmations, it is safe to assume that Deadpool & Wolverine will be a multiverse story. In fact, it has been reported that 70% to 75% of the film takes place in The Void. Fans of Loki know this as the place at the end of time where the TVA dumps everything they’ve pruned from the Sacred Timeline so it can be consumed by the creature Alioth. Combined with the giant 20th Century Fox logo buried in the film, this implies that the universe from which Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine was also pruned by the TVA (a clever meta-joke about Disney’s takeover of the franchise).

Rumors also claim the film will introduce a concept to the Multiverse known as “The Anchor,” which refers to a Variant whose death will result in the destruction of their native universe. This new concept implies that Deadpool and Wolverine’s battles will ultimately determine the fate of entire realities.

By the looks of it, it seems it will effectively work as the closing chapter of the Fox-Marvel universe, allowing the previous iteration of the X-Men one last moment in the spotlight. In early November 2023, Reynolds confirmed that the character Dogpool would appear in the film, solidifying the multiverse theory.

Official #DeadpoolAndWolverine promo art (1/n)#Wolverine #Logan #Deadpool #Variants #Deadpool3 #Kidpool #Dogpool pic.twitter.com/O2NBgDBuon

— Kepler (@kepleravocado) March 23, 2024

Additionally, promo art for the movie seems to confirm that it will feature Variants of Deadpool as a baby, a child, and some kind of flying severed head.

As mentioned, the main theory is that Corrin’s villain will be Cassandra Nova, a parasitic life form tied to X-Men leader Charles Xavier. Nova is infamous for being one of the team’s most powerful enemies, making her an ideal antagonist for Deadpool’s third movie.

How is Logan back? Is this movie set in the MCU?

Logan’s return is still a bit of a mystery, although Deadpool & Wolverine will take a similar angle to Spider-Man: No Way Home to explain how it will bridge its many universes. Deadpool may jump through a portal and find himself interacting with the rest of the Marvel characters we know and love, and he may also find a universe where Wolverine is still alive and kicking, even though he died in Logan. When you have a multiverse, anything is suddenly possible.

Will Deadpool & Wolverine be rated R?

Given that Deadpool will now be part of the much more family-friendly MCU, many people are wondering whether the movie will maintain the streak of the first two films and retain its R rating. Disney CEO Bob Iger and Marvel head Kevin Feige have repeatedly said that the film will have an R rating, allowing for a higher level of graphic violence and profanity.

Who is directing Deadpool & Wolverine?

While Tim Miller and David Leitch directed the first two installments in the franchise, the third installment will be helmed by Shawn Levy, who has already worked with Reynolds on projects like Free Guy and The Adam Project. In an interview with Collider, Levy discussed working on the project, suggesting that the film would be oriented toward an adult audience.

“We are writing, rewriting, developing, prepping ‘Deadpool‘ every day now,” he said. “It is such a blast to laugh every day.” Because the directors reached a settlement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that prevented them from going on strike with the actors and writers, Levy was among the few key Deadpool & Wolverine figures to provide updates throughout the summer of 2023. As previously noted, Levy revealed that half the film is edited while also expressing his enthusiasm for and commitment to the film.

Shawn Levy promises Deadpool & Wolverine will incorporate the franchise’s signature style

With Deadpool moving to Disney, fans began to worry if the franchise would have to remove some of its violence and language under new leadership. In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Levy promised that Deadpool’s DNA and signature style would remain for the third film. However, Levy teased that the character will “evolve” in the third film.

“One thing that Ryan [Reynolds] and I were really united in is wanting to make Deadpool 3 very much consistent and continuous with the franchise DNA, but to see where we could evolve in this third movie,” Levy said. “And once we knew it was a Wolverine/Deadpool movie, my god, what a gift to any storyteller.

“Because not only do you have two icon actors playing their most iconic roles, but you have two characters whose dynamic is already famously fraught,” Levy added. “And any time you’re dealing with characters who start from a place of deep dislike, and conflict, and difference from each other. ‘The Mouth’ and the surly, laconic man of few words. What a great formula for storytelling. And ultimately, the movie does have much more character, depth, and heart than I think anyone is expecting.”

What’s the deal with all the leaks?

As with any high-profile movie, Deadpool & Wolverine has been the subject of numerous leaks from scoopers. From Garner’s return as Elektra to the apparent return of Sabretooth and Toad, plot details about Deadpool & Wolverine keep coming out, much to the cast and crew’s chagrin. Reynolds addressed the issue himself, posting a message on his Instagram stories, saying that “telephoto lenses continue to spoil surprises and create a difficult situation for everyone.”

Reynolds continued: “Here’s hoping some of the websites and social channels hold back showing images before they’re ready. The film is built for audience joy — and our highest hope is to preserve as much of that magic as possible for the finished film and the big screen. Part of the reason people post spoilers is because they’re excited. I realize these aren’t real-world issues and it’s firmly in the ‘good problems’ bucket.”

It’s highly unlikely the leaks will stop — there’s an entire industry built off them and a highly enthusiastic audience for them. However, perhaps the situation will make the creatives behind Deadpool & Wolverine and at Marvel Studios more attentive to potential spoilers.

Ryan Reynolds planned to shoot a fake movie to keep spoilers a secret

There are many surprise cameos and plot details in Deadpool & Wolverine. To protect from spoilers, Reynolds had an idea to shoot a fake movie as a disguise for Deadpool & Wolverine. On Hot Ones, Reynolds discussed his fictional movie, Alpha Cop, for the very first time.

“The original idea with this movie to shoot a fake movie called Alpha Cop that was intentionally bad,” Reynolds said. “I even had one of the posters made — it was about two guys who are sharing one brain and together they make the ultimate cop. And the poster says, ‘Alpha Cop: Two Cops, One Brain. All Balls.’”

“It was meant to be kind of like horrible,” Reynolds continued. “Like 10 people in America would go to see this movie on opening weekend and five minutes into the movie the Marvel logo would flip up and it would actually be Deadpool & Wolverine. The problem is that if you managed to get down to the last minute and it gets blown, it would just be heartbreaking.”

Luckily for Reynolds, the major spoilers in Deadpool & Wolverine never leaked.

Deadpool & Friend was the original title

In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Reynolds revealed to Jackman that the original title of the third Deadpool installment was Deadpool & Friend. The night before the first trailer dropped on the Super Bowl, the Deadpool & Friend title leaked, causing a serious uproar from fans on the internet. Reynolds and Levy knew they had to change the name to Deadpool & Wolverine before the trailer aired.

“We were not feeling so good about that [Deadpool & Friend] anymore, and it went with the trailer that we were showing. It was kind of a perfect title for the first piece of materials we had out there,” Reynolds said. “So, Shawn Levy — director extraordinaire, friend to both of us and dear friend, literally one of our best friends in the whole world — he and I had been sitting in the edit room for months at this point, and we called everybody at Disney and Marvel and said we have to change the title, and they were like, ‘Well no guys. It launches tomorrow.’”

Are fans excited for Deadpool & Wolverine?

Well, duh! Advanced movie ticket sale site Fandango named Deadpool & Wolverine the most anticipated movie of 2024. In fact, Disney’s CEO Bob Iger says Deadpool & Wolverine will be “one of the most successful Marvel movies [Disney has] had in a long time.”

The first two films all did solid business, but Deadpool & Wolverine is shaping up to be the trilogy’s most successful entry — might we dare imagine that it could make it to $1 billion? Joker is the only R-rated film to achieve the feat; interestingly, the sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux, is not in Fandango’s Top 10 most anticipated films for next year.

The MCU is currently in shambles, and it badly needs a win. Deadpool and Wolverine is the studio’s only major release in 2024, increasing its chances of scoring big at the box office. Coupled with the supposed cameos parade and a brutally hilarious story, Deadpool & Wolverine might very well be the biggest movie event of the year.

A new look at Deadpool & Wolverine

On April 30, a new image was released of Deadpool & Wolverine via DiscussingFilm on Twitter.

Deadpool & Wolverine poised to break R-rated box office record

EXCLUSIVE: We can tell you first per myriad box office sources that 'Deadpool & Wolverine' is headed to a record preview night for an R-rated pic. It is eyeing $35M at this minute but very well could wind up north of $40M+ by morning

MORE: https://t.co/HQtEl6wQlu pic.twitter.com/lAJodmV92L

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) July 26, 2024

Deadpool & Wolverine is poised to break multiple box office records, including the highest opening weekend for an R-rated film at the domestic box office. The current record is $132.4 million set by Deadpool. Before previews, early estimates had Deadpool & Wolverine tracking anywhere from $160 million to $200 million, which would shatter the record.

The Thursday night preview numbers are rolling in, and they’re sky-high. Per Deadline, Deadpool & Wolverine is eyeing around $35 million to $40 million in previews, a new record for R-rated films. That’s easily one of the 10 highest Thursday night preview grosses of all time. Avengers: Endgame owns the record with $60 million.

Deadpool & Wolverine screens at San Diego Comic-Con

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman Crash Comic-Con’s Hall H With All the Cameo Stars from ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ … Warning Spoilers! https://t.co/JeTU71xJvx

— Variety (@Variety) July 26, 2024

The Deadpool & Wolverine press tour saved the best for last. At the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, Reynolds, Jackman, Levy, Corrin, and Feige participated in a special Thursday night panel titled “The Ultimate Deadpool & Wolverine Celebration of Life.” After a brief Q&A, Blind Al appeared on the monitor and said, “Can we skip the bullshit and just show the damn movie?” The 6,500 fans in Hall H then watched a special screening of Deadpool & Wolverine.

Digital Trends’ review of Deadpool & Wolverine

In #Deadpool & Wolverine, #RyanReynolds and #HughJackman team up for a relentlessly meta superhero sequel that overdoes on fan service. https://t.co/FbHyD601C6

— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) July 26, 2024

Digital Trends’ A.A. Dowd said “Marvel’s inside joke grows old” in his review of Deadpool & Wolverine. In a two-and-a-half out of five-star review, Dowd praised the comedy of the film and Jackman’s performance, while also feeling exhausted by the amount of cameos.

“This movie is essentially hijacked by the imperative to serve up a line of special guests for an audience trained to applaud the sight of a familiar face,” Dowd wrote. “Deadpool & Wolverine has a little fun with this obligation, nodding to aborted passion projects and the deeper, less revered cuts of Marvel movie history. (The deceptive use of one particular MCU headliner is inspired.) But even draped in copious amounts of irony, the nonstop fan service grows wearisome by the multiversal shenanigans of the climax.”