Deadpool & Wolverine might be the most self-referential movie ever filmed by Marvel Studios. Deadpool and its sequel chafed against the fourth wall, but Deadpool & Wolverine takes a chainsaw to it within the first five minutes and spends the rest of its two-hour runtime grinding whatever’s left into dust.
It helps that the film has plenty of material to work with. After Disney bought Twentieth Century Fox in 2019, Marvel Studios regained the film rights to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and a healthy handful of other popular Marvel characters. Deadpool & Wolverine presses this advantage to its limits, making so many celebrity cameos and Easter Eggs that it’s hard to track them all.
I’ve watched Deadpool & Wolverine twice and left the theater with a page or two of cameo-related notes. So, let’s run down the list and unmask every cameo, reference, and Easter Egg in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Logan’s skeleton’s seen better days
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine received a terrific send-off in 2017’s Logan, sacrificing his life to save his daughter Laura and the next generation of mutants. Unfortunately, Deadpool & Wolverine reveals Wolverine was the “Anchor Being” of Earth 10005, the reality in which Fox’s X-Men films took place, and his death triggered the slow death of that universe.
Desperate to save his timeline, Deadpool steals one of the Time Variance Authority’s TemPads to try to “fix” his world’s Wolverine. Unfortunately, all that’s left of Wolverine’s body is an adamantium-coated skeleton, which Deadpool uses to solo a platoon of T.V.A. soldiers in the film’s in-media-res opening scene.
Happy Hogan tells Deadpool “No”
Jon Favreau’s’ Harold “Happy” Hogan has been a staple of the MCU since the first Iron Man movie, graduating from Tony Stark’s put-upon chauffeur/bodyguard to a trusted member of his boss’s inner circle. So, it’s only fitting that Happy is the first MCU character Deadpool interacts with.
Deadpool 2 ended with Deadpool “burrowing” Cable’s time-traveling device and jumping back and forth through time. Deadpool and Wolverine reveal Deadpool made a quick stop in Earth-616, the MCU’s “Sacred Timeline,” and asked to join the Avengers. Happy, understandably, turned him down.
Tony Stark’s Arc Reactor reminds us he had a heart
As the film moves into Happy’s office, it reveals a treasure trove of MCU Easter Eggs. One of the most prominent is Tony Stark’s Arc Reactor, which sits on a small stand on Happy’s desk. This pacemaker-on-steroids was the only thing keeping Stark alive after his fateful encounter with the Ten Rings, and it became a symbol of the character’s personal growth.
Captain America’s Shield judges Deadpool
Captain America’s star-spangled shield (or a very accurate replica of it) holds a prominent place of honor in Happy’s office. Steve Rogers passed his mantle to Sam Wilson at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but his legacy looms over Deadpool as he tries (and fails) to become an Avenger.
Pepper Potts back in the spotlight (sort off)
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts was the center of Tony Stark’s world and a significant player in his heel-turn from cold-blooded CEO to noble hero. After her boss-turned-husband sacrificed himself at the end of Avengers Endgame, Pepper, for understandable reasons, stepped out of the spotlight.
The post-Endgame MCU films have referenced Pepper a handful of times, so naturally, Deadpool and Wolverine does, too. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Pepper shows up in Happy’s office on the cover of a copy of Forbes magazine.
Deadpool and Thor’s touching moment
Footage from multiple MCU films plays during Deadpool’s visit to the T.V.A’s headquarters. The lengthiest clip is an altered version of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki’s “death” scene from 2013 Thor: The Dark World, with Deadpool taking Loki’s place in Chirs Hemmsworth’s Thor’s arms.
Never look down on short Wolverine
After he learns that saving his timeline’s native Wolverine is impossible, Deadpool embarks on a reality-hopping odyssey to find a new Wolverine that can become his reality’s new Anchor Being. One of the first Wolverine he runs into is a few sizes too small, standing a full head-and-shoulders shorter than the Merc with the Mouth.
This Wolverine, whom Deadpool calls a “comic-accurate short king,” is about the same height as Wolverine in the comics. For the record, Wolverine’s official height is five feet, three inches.
Weapon Omega welcomes Deadpool to the Age of Apocalypse
One of the Wolverines Deadpool crosses paths with during the “Wolverine” montage is a vicious and poorly groomed specimen that instantly attacks him. This variant of Wolverine is identical to the one that appeared in the Age of Apocalypse, an alternate timeline in which the X-Men villain Apocalypse took over the Earth.
Patch keeps it classy (and violent)
Another Wolverine that appears during Deadpool’s search is a well-dressed version with an eyepatch playing cards at a fancy casino. Comic fans will recognize this Wolverine as “Patch,” an alias Wolverine took up during an undercover mission on the lawless island of Madripoor.
The Hulk hands Deadpool his first Avengers team-up
While Wolverine has become a staple of the X-Men, his first appearance saw him go claws-to-fists with the Incredible Hulk. Deadpool encounters a Wolverine wearing the costume he wore in The Incredible Hulk #180. The Hulk-revealing shot that follows references the issue’s iconic cover, drawn by Todd Macfarlane.
Crucified Wolverine is not okay, Deadpool
One of the most horrifying scenes in Deadpool and Wolverine sees Deadpool behold a crucified Wolverine. This scene references a famous one in comics where cybernetic mutant-hunters known as the Reavers crucify Wolverine, who suffers a traumatizing hallucination.
The Cavillrine
When Disney got the X-Men’s film rights back, Marvel fans wondered who would play Wolverine in the MCU. Henry Cavill was always one of the most popular choices for the role, but he became the most popular after his time as the DC Extended Universe’s Superman and The Witcher’s Geralt ended.
Deadpool and Wolverine gave MCU fans a taste of what a Wolverine played by Cavill would be like. This Wolverine, dubbed “The Cavillrine,” doesn’t stick around long, but I have a hard time believing this will be the last time we see him in the MCU.
Rest in peace, Twentieth Century Fox
Despite their best efforts, Twentieth Century Fox’s Marvel films never found their footing. Their failure to win over audiences contributed to Fox’s eventual downfall. So when Deadpool and Wolverine fall into “The Void,” it’s almost poetic that one of the first things they encounter is a ruined, statuesque version of the iconic Fox logo.
The Void’s Artifacts
Artifacts from other Marvel films litter the barren fields of the Void. Here’s a list of all I caught: a S.H.I.E.L.D Hellicarrier, Peter Quill’s Milano starship, the foot of a mutant-hunting Sentinel robot, Odin’s Palace, and the Black Order’s Q Ship.
Chris Evans’ Human Torch fools us all
Chris Evans told the world that he had no plans to return to the MCU as Captain America in 2022. So when he showed up in the Void, I was as excited and confused as everyone else in the theater. Then, just when it looks like he’s about to say “Avengers Assemble,” he shouts “Flame on,” revealing that this isn’t Captain America at all; it’s the Human Torch, who Evans played in 2004’s Fantastic Four.
Cassandra Nova’s army of evil mutants
Characters from Fox’s X-Men films comprise most of Cassandra Nova’s army. The list includes Tyler Mane’s Sabretooth, Ray Park’s Toad, Aaron Stanford Pyro, Dania Ramirez’s Callisto, Jason Flemyng’s Azrael, Vinnie Jones, Juggernaut, Kelly Hu’s Lady Deathstrike, Olivia Munn’s Psylocke, and Kevin Nash’s “The Russian.”
The Resistance is full of big-name heroes
Not every Marvel character trapped in The Void bows to Cassandra Nova. A ragtag resistance fights against the psychic tyrant, formed by big-name actors and actresses who appear in Fox’s superhero films. This team comprises Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, Channing Tatum’s Gambit, and Dafne Keen’s X-23.
The Deadpool Corps
As Cassandra Nova prepares to destroy the multiverse in Deadpool and Wolverine‘s last act, she puts a deadly obstacle between herself and the titular duo: the Deadpool Corps. Made up of Deadpool Variants from across the multiverse, this legion of Mercs with Mouths is a veritable incubator of Easter Eggs.
Almost every noteworthy Deadpool variant in the Deadpool Corps is a hidden celebrity cameo. Lady Deadpool is Ryan Reynold’s wife Blake Lively, and their children, Inez and Olin, play Kidpool and Babypool. Nathan Fillion is the zombified Headpool, Mathew McConaughey voices Cowboypool, and Tom Holland’s brother plays Haroldpool
