“Deadpool & Wolverine” expects its audience to have a very good memory. To get the most out of the movie you have to not only be well-versed in the previous films starring the characters of the title — Ryan Reynolds’s foul-mouthed mercenary and Hugh Jackman’s gruff mutant with spiky claws — but you also should be able to recall the last 25 or so years of movies inspired by Marvel comic books. Even the ones that perhaps Marvel would like to forget.
It also helps to know your Hollywood deal history. The film, directed by Shawn Levy, refers repeatedly to the fact that Disney, the owner of Marvel Studios, purchased Fox, Deadpool’s previous home. There are all sorts of appearances from previous Marvel stars thanks to a timeline-hopping plot in which Deadpool recruits Wolverine to help him save his friends from destruction. Along the way they meet heroes and baddies from various versions of this universe, many of whom have very familiar faces. Most of these characters have been discarded in what is called the Void, a wasteland of unwanted superpowered individuals first introduced in the Disney+ series “Loki.”
Here’s a guide. Be warned: These are all spoilers.
Chris Evans as Johnny Storm
When Chris Evans is first unveiled in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” both Deadpool and the audience assume he is playing Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America. After all, Deadpool is now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But Evans is actually here as the superhero he played before Captain America: Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. Evans portrayed that Fantastic Four member in 2005’s “Fantastic Four” and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” (2007). Those films were decidedly not as acclaimed or beloved as any of the Captain America flicks. So Evans’s appearance here as Johnny is both something of an intentional letdown and a more dastardly joke. It’s the first sign that “Deadpool & Wolverine” is going to be heavily referencing the pre-M.C.U. era of Fox Marvel movies.
Jennifer Garner as Elektra
After Evans, there are three other stars who make for the most gasp-worthy cameos. The first is Jennifer Garner, back in leather as Elektra, whom she played in the 2005 movie of the same name. “Elektra,” a spinoff of “Daredevil” (2003), was not reviewed positively at the time, with The New York Times calling it a “rickety vehicle.” What about her Daredevil, played by Garner’s ex-husband, Ben Affleck? He does not show up in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” a fact acknowledged with a knowing laugh line. (Mostly, seeing Garner just made us wish for an “Alias” reboot.)
Wesley Snipes as Blade
Wesley Snipes shows up as the vampire hunter Blade. While many of the actors are returning to roles that were not well-received, Snipes is an exception. The “Blade” movies are largely remembered fondly, especially “Blade II” (2002), directed by Guillermo del Toro, before he was an Oscar winner. Marvel has been trying to crack a Blade remake for years now. The project, set to star Mahershala Ali, was first announced in 2019 and has since cycled through two potential directors. Snipes references this in “Deadpool & Wolverine” when he announces there will only be one Blade, but Marvel still appears to be forging ahead.
Channing Tatum as Gambit
Unlike Garner and Snipes, Tatum never actually played this Marvel hero in a feature film. Instead, he just talked a lot about playing Gambit, a member of the X-Men whose power involves throwing exploding playing cards. The movie was at one point scheduled to hit theaters in 2016, but never came to fruition. Tatum told Vanity Fair last year that “it got swallowed up into Disney by way of Marvel when they bought Fox, and ultimately I just think that the tone of the movie we wanted to make was very far from what they wanted to do.” It remains unclear whether the Gambit in “Deadpool & Wolverine” was how Tatum envisioned the character. He uses a thick, sometimes unintelligible Cajun accent, which Deadpool gets a lot of mileage out of mocking.
Aaron Stanford as Pyro
A number of actors who played minor characters throughout the X-Men movies show up in the Void. Stanford, who played the fire-wielding Pyro in “X2: X-Men United” and “X-Men: The Last Stand,” has the most prominent role, as a henchman for the primary “Deadpool & Wolverine” villain, Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin.
Tyler Mane as Sabretooth
Mane played Sabretooth in the first “X-Men” movie, in 2000, and he’s back for a brief appearance as the Wolverine foe.
Blake Lively as Ladypool
You never see the face of Ladypool, a version of Deadpool with a long blonde ponytail, but the credit goes to Blake Lively, the “Gossip Girl” star who also happens to be the wife of Reynolds. At the premiere, Lively showed up in a shimmering red catsuit with her hair mimicking that of Ladypool, a clear nod to her character.
The Reynolds Children in Various Roles
Yes, many members of the Reynolds-Lively brood show up in the credits of the film. James, their oldest, is listed as Screaming Mutant. The foul-mouthed Kidpool is played by Inez, and their youngest, Olin, is Babypool.
Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
How do you know for sure that Deadpool is now in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Well, Jon Favreau shows up in “Deadpool & Wolverine” as Happy Hogan, Tony Stark’s gofer, for a scene in which Deadpool tries to become a member of the Avengers. Favreau has been an integral part of the M.C.U. not just as an actor but also as the director of the first “Iron Man” (2008), which kicked off the whole Marvel phenomenon.
Henry Cavill as a Wolverine Variant
In one of the early sequences of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Deadpool hops through different universes looking for a version of Wolverine who could help him save his timeline. Most of these are played by Jackman in different costumes. At one point, however, Deadpool encounters a Wolverine played by Henry Cavill, best known for his work as Superman, a DC Comics character in the competing Warner Bros. superhero franchise. Reynolds-as-Deadpool makes a quip about how Marvel would treat Cavill better.
Matthew McConaughey as Cowboypool
Notice a particular drawl coming out of the Deadpool variant known as Cowboypool? Yes, that’s (at least the voice of) Matthew McConaughey, an actor who has otherwise largely avoided the superhero frenzy.
Nathan Fillion as Headpool
Fillion is perhaps the reigning king of superhero movie cameos, having popped up in “The Suicide Squad” (2021) and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (2023), to name a few. Here he’s a Deadpool variant known as Headpool, a disembodied floating zombie head.
Dafne Keen as X-23
This one audiences know is coming thanks to the final trailer. Keen returns as Laura, or X-23, when that character from “Logan,” all grown up, commandeers Wolverine and Deadpool’s car after they’ve beaten each other to a pulp. Keen was just 11 when she made her film debut in the 2017 James Mangold film in which Jackman’s aging Wolverine (a.k.a. Logan) is tasked with caring for the feisty mutant girl. Now, she once again serves as an emotional foil for Logan, pushing him to do the right thing as he grapples with his trauma.
Rob McElhenney as TVA Soldier
The “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star is credited as an unnamed soldier for the TVA — the Time Variance Authority, a Marvel institution that apprehends those who fiddle with timelines. He’s also a good pal of Reynolds: Together they own the U.K. soccer team Wrexham A.F.C. (McElhenney seemed to imply in an Instagram post that he was cut from the film, but he remains in the credits.) The Wrexham player Paul Mullin is apparently Welshpool, who is seen during a melee with a bunch of masked Deadpools.
Peggy as Dogpool
To play the canine version of Deadpool — called Dogpool, of course — the filmmakers didn’t just cast any pup. They hired Peggy, thought to be a pug-Chinese crested mix, who was once crowned the ugliest dog in Britain. She is beautiful in our eyes, of course.
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