Is Deadpool and Wolverine part of the MCU? Its ties to canon explained
Jul. 25, 2024Just how connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Deadpool and Wolverine?
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Deadpool and Wolverinefinally brings the morally-flexible mercenary Wade Wilson into the MCU (you can read ourreviewof the film here). But what does that actually mean? Is this a continuation of the previous two Deadpool movies or something else entirely? We have the answers for you right here, but buckle in – it’s about to get complicated andwe’ll be talking spoilers, so this is your first and only warning. If you don’t want to know what happens at the end of Deadpool and Wolverine, look away now.
What universe is Deadpool and Wolverine set in?
There’s a practical real world reason for that, namely that the Deadpool franchise began as a spin-off of the X-Men movie franchise produced by 20th Century Fox. The MCU movies, meanwhile, are made by theDisney-ownedMarvel Studios. For the longest time there was no crossover between these franchises because they were made by different companies.
All that said, one of the most interesting aspects of Deadpool and Wolverine is that it isn’t just set on one Earth, but several…
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This is a strange un-reality first introduced into the MCU in episode five of Loki’s first season (we have anin-depth explainerwhich also goes into its comic book origins) which is prowled by the monstrous Alioth. In Deadpool and Wolverine we learn that the Void is now ruled over by the villainousCassandra Nova. It’s with Nova’s introduction that the film also reveals most of its many returning characters – all of whom are from the 20th Century Fox films, rather than the MCU. You get high profile heroes like Blade and Elektra, as well as evil mutants like Toad, Juggernaut, and Azazel. Channing Tatum’s Gambit, meanwhile, is a reference to the planned but unmade Fox film about the mutant Remy LeBeau.
Now, some of these characters are set to eventually become part of the main MCU, albeit in a different form. A new Blade film starring Mahershala Ali instead of Wesley Snipes has been in development hell for several years now. Élodie Yung played Elektra in Netflix’s Daredevil series (rather than Jennifer Garner) and she may one day appear in the MCU proper. And the X-Men have already started to appear here and there in the MCU movies with Kelsey Grammer’s Beast appearing in the post-credits scene forThe Marvels. But the scene with Happy and a couple of moments with Wunmi Mosaku’sHunter B-15aside, Deadpool and Wolverine is remarkably light on cameos from MCU actors.
For more, check out our guides to all theupcoming Marvel movies and showsas well as our breakdown of how to watch theMarvel movies in order.
Will Salmon is the Comics Editor for GamesRadar/Newsarama. He has been writing about comics, film, TV, and music for more than 15 years, which is quite a long time if you stop and think about it. At Future he has previously launched scary movie magazine Horrorville, relaunched Comic Heroes, and has written for every issue of SFX magazine for over a decade. He sometimes feels very old, like Guy Pearce in Prometheus. His music writing has appeared in The Quietus, MOJO, Electronic Sound, Clash, and loads of other places and he runs the micro-label Modern Aviation, which puts out experimental music on cassette tape.
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