With production ongoing (and rewrites, probably) on Avengers: Doomsday, Ryan Reynolds’ latest social post has fans convinced that Deadpool will make an appearance.
It’s been a long road to the MCU for the Merc with a Mouth. Five years after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox (and following a fun video with Korg in 2021), he made his slice-and-dicing debut in 2024’s Deadpool and Wolverine.
It was an extraordinary success, breaking R-rated movie records and becoming one of the highest-grossing films ever made. However, a big question remains: what’s next?
After rumors of Reynolds developing a Deadpool/X-Men team-up movie, there’s a small chance he could show up in Doomsday.
Ryan Reynolds posts Deadpool tease for Avengers: Doomsday
On Instagram, Reynolds posted the Avengers logo with a red “A” spray-painted over it. The post doesn’t have a caption, but the actor also shared a photo of himself on his Instagram story, and fans believe he may be on the set of Doomsday.
As for what the “A” could be, it may just be Deadpool’s style of graffiti. However, it could also be a nod to the anarchist version of the Avengers in Earth-138 in the comics and/or Cassandra Nova’s flag in Deadpool and Wolverine. Whether or not this is a tease for Doomsday or another project entirely remains to be seen.
Reynolds has played it very coy in past interviews when it comes to the prospect of a role in an Avengers film. “There are no updates to share just yet. But I trust Kevin and [Marvel executive] Lou D’Esposito with my life,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in late 2024.
“The character trait I love most about Deadpool is that he’s a fanboy. His enthusiasm and longing to be part of a team is really endearing to me. It’s his overarching wish-fulfillment story. But I don’t think he should ever be an Avenger or an X-Man. If he becomes either, we’re at the end.”
By that, Reynolds didn’t mean that Deadpool shouldn’t appear alongside the Avengers – but “he always needs to stay an outsider.”
“His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted. His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies. If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey,” Reynolds added.
That was the last time he spoke about Deadpool’s future in the MCU, and a lot has happened since then. Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and even Fantastic Four have all underperformed, so there’s a lot riding on Avengers: Doomsday. Could it be that Marvel is pulling the Deadpool emergency lever to make it an even more appealing film for audiences?
Doomsday already has a huge cast, including some of Reynolds’ former Fox alumni like Patrick Stewart (Professor X), James Marsden (Cyclops), and Magneto (Ian McKellen). Perhaps Deadpool will be among them.
That raises another possibility: what if the X-Men die in Avengers: Doomsday?
Elon Musk says he’s suing Apple for rigging App Store rankings