Deadpool & Wolverine: Everything we know about the film formerly known as Deadpool 3

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.”

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

— Brandon Davis (@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.

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.