20th Century Fox/Disney
Given the presence of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in a starring role, it was clear from the beginning that Deadpool 3 — the character’s introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe — would have something to say about the fallen franchise both characters came from, 20th Century Fox’s X-Men universe.
Fox’s X-Men universe began in 2000 and concluded with a whimper 20 years later with the release of the dreadful film The New Mutants (Dark Phoenix, released a year prior, wasn’t much better).
Once Deadpool 3 began shooting earlier in the summer, however, it became clear just how much the X-Men universe would factor in, as set photos revealed that the literal 20th Century Fox logo could be seen among the ruins.
Editor’s Note: the remainder of this article will have potential spoilers for Deadpool 3
Thanks to recently leaked set photos (via The Mirror), it’s now clear that there will be even more direct ties to the X-Men Films of Decades Past — that’s a reference to Days of Future Past for all you real heads out there — as the original Sabertooth from 2000’s X-Men was spotted on set.
The villain Toad, who also featured in X-Men, was also reportedly spotted on set. At this time, however, it’s unclear if Tyler Mane and Ray Park, the actors who played Sabertooth and Toad, respectively, are directly involved.
Tyler Mane as Sabertooth and Ray Park as Toad, via 20th Century Fox/Disney
According to long-running rumors, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Wolverine have been captured by Owen Wilson’s Mobius and the Time Variance Authority and, at some stage, fight their way through the dying Fox X-Men universe, which would explain the appearances of the 20th Century Fox logo, Sabertooth, Toad, and even Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, who has also been confirmed to appear.
Deadpool 3, which is the only Marvel film that’s releasing in 2024, is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 26, 2024.