Deadpool’s return inAvengers: DoomsdayorAvengers: Secret Warsseems an inevitable and tantalizing part of the upcomingMCUMultiverse Saga releases - but also one I hope doesn’t step too hard on the toes of the past when it comes to Iron Man orAvengers: Endgame.Deadpool & Wolverineis now one of the11 MCU movies that have made over $1 billionat the box office, with fans already clamoring for more appearances from the Merc With A Mouth and his new Wolverine ally. Helpfully, these wishes look set to come true withinthe MCU’s upcoming releases.
The Multiverse Saga is inherently set up to have a huge swathe of crossovers inAvengers: Secret Wars, and the teases forthe story ofAvengers 5and6- which have alluded to incursions and an impending multiversal war more than once - naturally align with having figures like Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool appear alongside the likes of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of Spider-Man. However, introducing Deadpool into a major MCU crossover presents a few more complications for the franchise, and while I’m ecstatic that he’s likely about to return, the MCU needs to be careful about their approach.
Avengers: Secret Wars: Release Date, Plot Details & Everything We Know
The culmination of phases 4, 5, and 6 of the MCU will be in Avengers: Secret Wars. Here’s everything to know about the sixth Avengers movie.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Iron Man Teases Raise A Franchise Risk For Avengers 5 Or 6
Deadpool Is Already Shown To Know About The MCU Iron Man In Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverineskirts around the topic ofAvengers: Endgameby having Deadpool journey to the MCU’s main timeline before the events of the movie take place, visiting in 2018 before evenAvengers: Infinity Warhas taken place. However, future prospective crossovers that feature Deadpool - asAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsare theorized to be - can’t dodge around the matter in the same way.
As the next Avengers movies to come directly afterEndgame, both releases ideally need to address the events that came before it and its missing team members along the way, and that also means having jokes about them from the Merc With A Mouthif Deadpool is in the installment. Deadpool is canonically shown to consider Iron Man the figurehead of the Avengers - asking Happy Hogan where he is and why he isn’t leaidng interviews for the Avengers inDeadpool & Wolverineitself - so the antihero not addressing his glaring absence would seem almost more out of place.
But with Deadpool’s movie jokes hitting so hard so often - andDeadpool & Wolverinepaying testament to this with some jabs at harsh realities of Marvel movies en masse and the MCU specifically - it’s hard to not have a little trepidation about how these two worlds can combine without cornerstones like Iron Man’s legacy andEndgamedeath taking a hit. Marvel proved nothing is totally sacred when Deadpool dug up Wolverine’s skeleton from his death inLoganand used it for a jazzy fight scene, but things are still a little more sensitive in the MCU at this juncture.
The MCU’s Infinity Saga Jokes Have A Less Than Stellar Track Record
Deadpool’s Jokes Would Need To Break A History Of Divisive Comedy
Deadpool’s ability to razz onAvengers: Endgameand events like Iron Man’s death seem somewhat more fraught from the outside because the MCU has had mixed success at addressing things like the Snapin recent history. While releases likeWandaVisionandThe Falcon & The Winter Soldierdid a good job of contextualizing the aftermath of the Infinity Saga and how the world changed as a result, several jokes about this period of time have seen a more sour response, partially because they downplay and dampen the significance of the biggest moments inMCU history.
A prime example of this is the Infinity Conez New Asgard store inThor: Love and Thunder, which partially helped contribute to complaints that the movie was overly comedic in a way that hurt its story. While it’s obviously just meant to be a joke, it’s one that divided audiences, as Thanos' attack inAvengers: Infinity Waron the Asgardians in order to obtain Space Stone wiped out such a colossal number of their population that them creating a cutesy ice cream parlor that alludes to his conquest seems jarring.
Similarly, thoughLokihas been one of the best received MCU shows in the franchise’s history, it also saw some critical reception for showing versions of the Infinity Stones being used as paperweights in the Time Variance Authority’s base in season 1. While neither of these moments are outrageous, they do show how the MCU’s jokes and comedic moments can serve to inadvertently undermine the most resonant and significant parts of the franchise’s history, raising questions about how effectively it can handle something like Deadpool’s comedy without eroding the emotional weight of its past.
How The MCU Can Include Deadpool In Avengers 5 & 6 Without Ruining The Franchise’s Legacy
Deadpool Is Still Worth Including In The Multiverse Saga’s Later Releases
WithDeadpool & Wolverineproving so successful, not factoring the titular characters into the major crossover chapters of the Multiverse Saga would feel a little like the franchise shooting itself in the foot, as much as there are natural concerns about the MCU’s track record at joking about its past. As such, it stands to reason that the best foot for the franchise to put forward is to ensure any of Deadpool’s jokes about Iron Man orEndgameare based more around Wade being late to the party, which would tie nicely intoDeadpool & Wolverineand his Earth-616 visit.
It’s also worth keeping in mind thatDeadpool & Wolverinecustom-built a way for the MCU to avoid having to lean into the more biting side of Deadpool’s wit by setting him up with a side storyline with a major Avenger - namely, Thor. SinceDeadpool & Wolverineshowed Thor crying over Deadpool but never explained when this happened or why, having Deadpool stick with Thor in a prospectiveAvengers: DoomsdayorAvengers: Secret Warsstory would both make sense and ensure any more dunking on the Avengers could instead be focused on the God of Thunder.
Keeping focused on Thor not only works best because he is still alive and thus building his legacy, but also because it provides the MCU a way to directly address complaints about the likes ofThor: Love and Thunder. From this perspective, the movies thus have the opportunity to allude to the direction they will be taking the hero in going forward, ensuring one of the last original Avengers gets his due - something thatDeadpool & Wolverineitself showcased in a sense by having Happy Hogan in Wade’s firing line instead of Tony Stark himself.
That said, with a team of talented creatives at the helm forAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, the movies will likely be able to handle even the entire Deadpool Corps appearing and making jabs at the MCU. So long as the story itself pays testament to all the franchise has built, the future can no doubt remain bright - though there’s certainly an element of care that may need to be made a priority when it comes to crafting this next step forward.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Cast
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.
