An MCU legend returns in Deadpool and Wolverine, and not in a way that anybody could anticipate

Jul. 25, 2024

Deadpool 3 spoilers ahead as we dive into one of the most unexpected cameos and the reason behind it

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There’s an unreal amount ofDeadpool and Wolverine cameosin this film, a pure celebration of some of the best superhero movies from the last two decades. But one cameo is especially unexpected. The odds were always pretty good that this actor would return to superhero movies eventually – everyone just assumed he’d be playing adifferentsuperhero than he does in Deadpool & Wolverine…

I’m going to pull a Deadpool and break the fourth wall to tell you, the reader, not to continue with this article if you haven’t seen Deadpool 3. This is a spoiler warning! Read ourDeadpool and Wolverine reviewif you’re just looking for more info on the film.

Flame on!

Deadpool & Wolverine sees Ryan Reynolds' foul-mouth Mutant exploring the multiverse in the hopes of saving his timeline from extinction at the hands of the TVA, the timeline police first introduced in the Loki series on Disney+. When Deadpool and a version of Wolverine from a different reality are “eliminated” by the TVA, they’re sent to The Void, a wasteland realm where everything that’s been pruned from time ends up. There, they meet a dashing, inspiring hero played by… Chris Evans, making his first return to the MCU since Steve Rogers went back in time to live out his life with Peggy in Avengers: Endgame.

Evans reveals himself to Deadpool and Wolverine, giving an inspiring speech about working together to fight the Mad Max-like group of raiders approaching them. Much to Deadpool’s delight, he prepares to say his iconic superhero catchphrase. But it’s not “Avengers, Assemble.” It’s… “Flame on!” because – twist! – Evans is not playing Captain America but reprising his role as the Human Torch.

Turns out the Human Torch, a member of the Fantastic Four, is one of the many characters that have been banished to the Void by the TVA. (Other major cameos include Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, and Dafne Keen as X-23.)

The Human Torch is one of Marvel’s oldest superheroes – even older than you think. The first version of the character appeared alongside Captain America in comics as early as 1939 back when Marvel was called Timely Comics. This Human Torch was an android, but the more well-known version of the character, the one Evans played, made his debut in the first issue of The Fantastic Four in 1961. Johnny Storm gained the power to turn into living flame and fly when he was hit with cosmic rays in an experimental spacecraft along with his the Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, and The Thing, and has appeared in thebest Fantastic Four comicsever since.

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Compared to his tenure as ‘Cap, Evan’s two appearances as the Human Torch are something of an afterthought, especially as those movies aren’t held in the same popular or critical esteem as the MCU movies. That’s why it’s such a surprise when Deadpool and Wolverine has Evans set himself ablaze: Everybody, including Deadpool, was expecting he’d be playing theothersuperhero.

Deadpool & Wolverine, ultimately, was not the palace for that grand return. Should Evans’ Captain America come back, it will probably be done with a bit more reverence than a gag in the Void, the timeline’s trash-bin, in anR-rated Deadpool movie.

And, while we’re on the subject, it seems safe to say Evans won’t reprise his role as the Human Torch.A Quiet Place: Dar One star Joseph Quinn is playing the character in the upcomingFantastic Four rebootfor the MCU. Evans' reprisal of the role was just a good one-off joke. Plus, if you’ve seen the movie, you know thatthisversion of Johnny Storm dies in the Void. Pretty horribly! At least it wasn’t Deadpool’s fault.

Wondering where to go next? Here’s how to watch all of theMarvel movies in orderonce you’re done with Deadpool and Wolverine.

James is an entertainment writer and editor with more than a decade of journalism experience. He has edited for Vulture, Inverse, and SYFY WIRE, and he’s written for TIME, Polygon, SPIN, Fatherly, GQ, and more. He is based in Los Angeles. He is really good at that one level of Mario Kart: Double Dash where you go down a volcano.

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