I'm Convinced Deadpool And Wolverine Won't Appear In Avengers: Doomsday To Set Up 1 Major MCU Movie Moment For Avengers: Secret Wars
It doesn't look like Deadpool and Wolverine will make an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, and I'm pretty sure it's because the MCU is setting up a big moment for Avengers: Secret Wars instead. Their inauguration into the MCU in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine helped to prove how the two characters are a boon for any MCU production, as the MCU's first R-rated foray became one of its most profitable. Deadpool & Wolverine broke cinematic records by grossing $1.3 billion worldwide and is now the MCU's sixth-highest-grossing movie overall.
It would stand to reason, then, that Marvel would want to include these two immensely popular characters in its first Avengers movie since Avengers: Endgame. Marvel recently confirmed the first cast members due to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, and sitting among expected names like Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, and Pedro Pascal were some that set online discourse ablaze. These included the likes of Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, and James Marsden - to name a few - but just as surprising as their appearance was the omission of many others.
Hugh Jackman & Ryan Reynolds Haven't Been Confirmed For Avengers: Doomsday's Cast
Hugh Jackman And Ryan Reynolds Were Two Of The Most Surprising Omissions
Many cast members from Fox's X-Men franchise were confirmed to be starring in Avengers: Doomsday, with each of them expected to reprise their X-Men movie roles. These included some of the most prominent stars like Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and James Marsden (Cyclops), as well as more surprising additions like Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique). Even Channing Tatum, who debuted as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, padded out the X-Men contingent - but both Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were absent.
Returning X-Men Actor | Character | Last Seen |
|---|---|---|
Kelsey Grammer | Hank McCoy/Beast | The Marvels (2023) |
Patrick Stewart | Charles Xavier/Professor X | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) |
Ian McKellen | Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto | X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) |
Alan Cumming | Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler | X2 (2003) |
Rebecca Romijn | Raven Darkhölme/Mystique | X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) |
James Marsden | Scott Summers/Cyclops | X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) |
Channing Tatum | Remy LeBeau/Gambit | Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
The absence of the Deadpool & Wolverine stars is especially noticeable considering Hugh Jackman, in particular, played such a central role in Fox's X-Men franchise, with his Wolverine being the entire franchise's de facto protagonist. Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool has also interacted with Fox's X-Men, and technically belonged to the same franchise - even returning to their timeline in Deadpool & Wolverine. Still, I think it is Deadpool's loose and practically nonexistent relationship with the X-Men franchise's main cast that clues us into why he was ultimately omitted.
Avengers: Doomsday's X-Men Cast Additions Mean Saving Deadpool & Wolverine For Secret Wars Could Make A Lot More Sense
Introducing Deadpool And Wolverine To The X-Men Will Be A Special Moment
We are most likely to see the stars of Deadpool & Wolverine reprise their roles in the MCU, especially as Logan brought an unassailable end to the Wolverine variant who starred in Fox's X-Men franchise. If that is the case, then it's worth noting that neither Deadpool nor Wolverine have actually encountered the confirmed X-Men cast on-screen, save for Channing Tatum's Gambit. In fact, Deadpool & Wolverine's "Worst Wolverine" comes from another universe where his X-Men team was murdered, and Deadpool makes repeated jokes about never encountering the X-Men despite being part of the same franchise.
10 Things We Hope Are True About Avengers: Doomsday Based On The Order Of The Cast Reveal
The MCU have announced a whopping 27 names for the Avengers: Doomsday cast, but the order in which they were revealed hint at potential narratives.
This should make their first encounter with Fox's X-Men team special. Deadpool has desperately attempted to meet with the core X-Men team for three solo appearances. Worst Wolverine, meanwhile, still grieves the loss of his X-Men. This makes their moment meeting Fox's X-Men franchise more befitting of the Multiverse Saga's answer to Avengers: Endgame, namely Avengers: Secret Wars, as it will be a moving culmination. Instead, I think Avengers: Doomsday should focus on establishing the confirmed X-Men cast's MCU presence first - making their future meeting even more special.
Avengers: Doomsday
- Release Date
- December 18, 2026
- Director
- Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers
- Stephen McFeely, Michael Waldron, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee
Cast
See All
Thor
Vanessa KirbySue Storm / Invisible Woman
Johnny Storm / Human Torch
Ebon Moss-BachrachBen Grimm / The Thing
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
- December 17, 2027
- Director
- Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers
- Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Stephen McFeely
- Producers
- Kevin Feige
- Prequel(s)
- Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
See All
Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom
Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic- Vanessa KirbySue Storm / The Invisible Woman
- Ebon Moss-BachrachBen Grimm / Thing
Avengers: Secret Wars is an anticipated installment in Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, serving as the finale of The Multiverse Saga. Scheduled for release in December 2027, the film's plot remains under wraps, fueling curiosity about its role in the expansive Marvel narrative.
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