Deadpool 3 keeps dropping Loki Easter eggs, and that’s a really good sign for Marvel’s next movie
Apr. 23, 2024OPINION | Deadpool & Wolverine keeps teasing its links to Loki, and that’s a really good sign
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Thefull trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine is here, and it’s packed full of Easter eggs. From Ant-Man’s skull to some familiar-looking portals, the return of the Merc with the Mouth seems like it’s setting itself up as the most outward-looking MCU release of the past few years, and that’s not even taking into accountall the X-Men cameos we know about.
However, there’s one particular pattern that’s been emerging in everything we’ve seen withDeadpool 3so far that’s got me very excited: its link to Loki. The first teaser set up that theTime Variance Authoritywill feature prominently in theMarvel Phase 5film, and the second trailer doubled down on some particularly intriguing nods.
Among the moments we spotted were asuspicious-looking cloud that seemed just like Aliothand Wade Wilson brutally taking down some TVA agents. Then, there’s Cassandra Nova’s headquarters, which seems to be inside Ant-Man’s helmet. Now, that’s a very similar-lookinglocation to the Voidin Loki season 1, which if you’ll recall was the place the TVA sent everything they pruned, and where we first met more Loki variants.
These little Easter eggs are very intriguing by themselves when speculating about what story Wade Wilson’s MCU introduction will follow. But more than that, I think the fact that Deadpool 3 is in conversation with one of Marvel’s best TV shows in such a prominent way is areallygood sign of what’s to come.
A guiding light
In a sea of pretty bad misses for Marvel, Loki has been a rare bright spot in the MCU’s post-Endgame line-up. Season 1 established a new intriguing take on the fan-favorite villain with a totally different tone, before season 2 took that to another notch withthe introduction of Ke Huy Quan’s O.B.and some more time-bending fun.
Thanks to its wacky tone, it feels like a perfect match-up with Deadpool, who has been one of Marvel’s most unique heroes since Ryan Reynolds first brought the foul-mouthed mutant to the screen. Nowhe’s joining the MCU, it feels like Loki’s world is the perfect setting to throw him into. I mean, really, who doesn’t want to see Wade causing chaos in the straight-laced TVA?
But more than this,Loki season 2– andits heartbreaking conclusion for its anti-hero– has been the best exploration of the consequences and moral quandaries that the multiverse invites. It’s not just about fun cameos and bringing in different variants of characters we know and love, but it’s about who gets to decide who’s story is definitive, and if we ever really should be able to make those calls.
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TheMultiverse Saga, and the MCU as a whole, is at a critical juncture. Not only has itnot been working well with fansandfired the actor playing its main villain, but the big screen Avengers movies are getting ever closer. It’s time for Marvel to get serious about its next stage of universe-destroying threats and we need a proper comprehensive movie exploration of this outside of simply sending characters to a different universe for more fun cameos. Could Deadpool 3 be just that?
Now look, all these references and nods may just be red herrings from the Merc with the Mouth. The very fact that we’ve been shown them at all given Marvel’s usual tendency for secrecy has me feeling pretty suspicious too. Thenthere’s the fact that Loki himself, Tom Hiddleston, has been pretty tight-lipped about any potential involvement in Deadpool & Wolverine too.
But even if Wade Wilson’s entry into the MCU is only pulling from some of the ideas introduced in Loki and its exploration of the multiverse, I’ll be happy. Loki season 2 has been the only project, barDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, that has felt like a cohesive exploration of what the multiverse means in this stage of the MCU. And if Logan and Wade can capture some of that magic, with their own Deadpool-style tone, we could be in for something very special indeed.
For more on all things Marvel, here’s our guides to theupcoming Marvel movies and TV showsandhow to watch the Marvel movies in order.
I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I’ve also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.
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