Though MCU's multiverse even further.
There were already multiple characters from the first two movies that returned for Deadpool & Wolverine, including Colossus, Negasonic Warhead, Yukio, Blind Al, and Dopinder. Even Juggernaut returned in the film, but was played by a different actor and seemed to be the same version that was seen in X-Men: The Last Stand instead of his Deadpool 2 iteration. Although Deadpool & Wolverine reunited many previously established characters, there were others that did not make the cut. Here’s every character that did not return for Deadpool & Wolverine.
6 Josh Brolin Did Not Return As Cable
Introduced in: Deadpool 2 (2018)
One actor who confirmed he would not be part of Deadpool & Wolverine’s cast was Josh Brolin, flatly denying his return as Cable before the film even came out. Cable’s introduction in Deadpool 2 was well-received, with Brolin’s performance serving as a sound adaptation of the important mutant hero. However, Cable did not the MCU at the same time as Deadpool and Wolverine.
The reasons for Cable’s absence in Deadpool & Wolverine have yet to be fully explained. Considering Josh Brolin’s previous MCU role as Thanos, it’s possible that he’s been left out in order to create more distance between the actor appearing in two major roles within the same franchise. However, as Brolin was contracted for multiple appearances, it’s highly likely Cable will the MCU in the future, potentially as part of the franchise’s own X-Men narrative.
5 Domino Did Not Make Her MCU Debut
Introduced in: Deadpool 2 (2018)
Another Deadpool 2 character that did not return for Deadpool & Wolverine is Domino. Before the film was released, actor Zazie Beetz confirmed that she was not set to appear, and that she was unsure how her absence would be explained in Deadpool & Wolverine’s story. It was never actually explained in the film, and considering Domino was established as a major player in Deadpool’s X-Force during Deadpool 2, her absence was definitely felt.
It has been speculated that the main reason for the absence of Beetz was a simple matter of budget. With both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman starring, it’s been suggested that financial concerns may have impacted certain characters’ returns, particularly if it risked overstuffing the film with unnecessary characters. Although Zazie Beetz did not make her MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine, Domino certainly deserves a chance to shine in the franchise in the same way she did in Deadpool 2.
4 TJ Miller's Weasel Did Not The MCU
Introduced in: Deadpool (2016)
First introduced in Deadpool as Wade Wilson’s close friend Weasel, TJ Miller played a noteworthy ing role in both previous Deadpool movies. However, Miller did not return for Deadpool & Wolverine, and Weasel played no role in its story. Despite having a decent sized role in the first two movies, he isn't mentioned at all in Deadpool & Wolverine. The reasons Miller was not asked to return are likely not limited to narrative concerns.
In 2022, Miller publicly stated he would never work with Ryan Reynolds again following on-set tension during work on previous Deadpool movies (per The Hollywood Reporter). Miller also found himself embroiled in multiple legal issues and allegations (The Direct) which resulted in multiple movies dropping the actor, prompting speculation that this is likely the reason he won’t appear in Deadpool & Wolverine. Regardless of the reasons, it has been confirmed that Weasel will not be a part of the sequel.
3 Firefist's Return Would Have Undermined His Character Arc
Introduced in: Deadpool 2 (2018)
Another character who appeared in Fox’s X-Men movie franchise in Deadpool 2 was also absent in Deadpool & Wolverine. Julian Dennison played the young Russell Collins (A.K.A. Firefist) in Deadpool 2, serving as the film’s potential antagonist and one of its most complex figures. Dennison’s role in the movie as a blossoming villain provided an interesting moral dilemma for its hero as he attempted to protect the child from Cable. However, Firefist was not in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Speaking with CBR before Deadpool & Wolverine came out, actor Julian Dennison confirmed he would not be in the film. Considering his story did not end in Deadpool 2, there is still room for an interesting development arc for Russell, but Deadpool & Wolverine wasn't the right film to explore it. It’s possible that Dennison could make his debut in the MCU at a later date, but according to the actor, it’s not forthcoming in Phase 6.
2 Missing of Deadpool's X-Force Team
All Introduced in: Deadpool 2 (2018)
A few of Deadpool 2's X-Force team make an appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine, but most are absent from the film. Out of the X-Force , Peter hilariously has the most significant role in the movie, while Shatterstar was seen at the birthday party for Wade Wilson. Given that Deadpool goes back in time to save each of them at the end of Deadpool 2, there was always a chance that the whole gang would get back together for Deadpool & Wolverine, but it just didn't happen.
That was a big ask, though, especially for characters like Vanisher and Bedlam, who are played by major Hollywood actors Brad Pitt and Terry Crews. Deadpool & Wolverine was already full of more cameos than ever, and X-Force's inclusion in the film would likely have been limited to a small scene. If Wade Wilson gets a fourth film following the success of Deadpool & Wolverine, it is entirely possible the rest of the X-Force can reunite once again.
1 Who Wasn't Asked To Return In Deadpool & Wolverine
Introduced in: Various Marvel films
Deadpool & Wolverine was a celebration of Marvel's film history, particularly the long-running Fox franchise that started with X-Men back in 2000. Plenty of past characters returned for Deadpool & Wolverine, but there were also quite a few that were left out completely. During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, director Shawn Levy talks about characters that weren't asked to come back for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Arguably the biggest omission from the film was that none of the original of X-Men were present, with Levy confirming he never considered them. Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, James Marsden's Cyclops, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, Halle Berry as Storm, and Anna Paquin's Rogue are all essential to the success of that original film, which makes their absence a bit disappointing.
Charles Xavier's absence in the film was felt as the main villain was Cassandra Nova, his sister.
Alongside them, James McAvoy confirmed he was not asked to come back as the younger version of Charles Xaviar that he played since X-Men: First Class. Levy didn't mention Halley Berry in the podcast, but she also confirmed that she wasn't asked to return for Deadpool & Wolverine despite being willing to come back. Ryan Reynolds confirmed he had talks with Nicolas Cage to return as Ghost Rider but never made it past a conversation.
Liev Schreiber was a missed opportunity to come back as Sabertooth for the film, but it was cool that Tyler Mane got to reprise that role after more than two decades after he appeared in X-Men. Levy stated one of the reasons for Tyle Mane coming back to the role was that one of the lead writers had a fondness for his version of the character.
Deadpool & Wolverine was a beautiful love letter to Marvel's long history on film, as well as a great path forward for Wade Wilson in the MCU. Having every single character back from the various past films would have been welcome, but not entirely practical. Despite having a number of characters not returning for Deadpool & Wolverine, the film did a great job of touching on the nostalgia of seeing some iconic characters back in action once again.
Deadpool & Wolverine
- Release Date
- July 26, 2024
- Runtime
- 127 Minutes
- Director
- Shawn Levy
Cast
Deadpool
Wolverine
WHERE TO WATCH
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
- Writers
- Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Shawn Levy, Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza
- Franchise(s)
- Deadpool, Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Studio(s)
- Marvel, Maximum Effort
- Distributor(s)
- Disney
- Main Genre
- Action
Source: Happy Sad Confused
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