Marvel’s Multiverse Saga has been bringing in variants to the MCU in a big way, with this summer’s Deadpool & Wolverine delivering the most of a single character in one place. Ryan Reynolds not only played the version of Deadpool from the same universe as the Fox X-Men movies but even took on the role of Nicepool, just one of several Deadpool variants that appeared including Dogpool, Ladypool, Kidpool, Cowboypool, etc. It’s been a few months since Deadpool & Wolverine premiered but the MCU just got another new Deadpool variant, and it’s one that should have the entire multiverse on notice.
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This week, Marvel’s What If…? premiered its third and final season, with the series finale debuting on Sunday, December 29th. In the final moments of the last episode of What If…? Uatu the Watcher introduced even more larger concepts pulled from the Marvel multiverse that they never got the chance to showcase in the series. Among the heroes seen in this montage were characters like the six-armed Spider-Man, Ironheart as The Punisher, Kingo from Eternals as Iron Man, a Dinosaur Hawkeye, and, of course, a new Deadpool variant.
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Though only on screen for a few seconds, this new Deadpool could spell doom for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Very noticeably a variant of the Merc with a Mouth, the key difference in THIS Deadpool and all the other Deadpools that Marvel fans have ever seen is that he is absolutely armed to the teeth. Now why would Deadpool need THAT many weapons? The armory on his back is leading many to think that the Deadpool variant seen here is based on the one from the “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe” comic series.
RELATED: Deadpool Is Going on a Killing Spree Across Marvel’s Multiverse
In the pages of the Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe comic, hailing from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Dalibor Talajic, things go…exactly as you might expect considering the title. Deadpool not only kills the likes of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and even Wolverine, but also Thanos, the Silver Surfer, and even The Watcher. The comic series naturally gets very meta throughout its run, with the final pages showing Deadpool kill the comic creators that made the series itself.
Deadpool Hunting The Avengers Could be the Right Move
It’s perhaps a stretch to think that this Deadpool variant will ever ACTUALLY show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but with Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon the potential isn’t exactly zero. Knowing that this character is something on Marvel Studios’ mind, and that Ryan Reynolds thinks Deadpool shouldn’t join The Avengers team outright, is it possible that a Deadpool bent on killing other Marvel heroes could be headed to the MCU?
The primary variant of Deadpool that Ryan Reynolds plays on the big screen appears to be on the sidelines until Marvel Studios can figure out how to fully incorporate him into the MCU. With Reynolds already making it clear that he’s okay playing other Deadpool variants, what would stop him from taking on a deadly version of the character that still has quips? Not to mention, a Deadpool variant trying to end the MCU outright might be one of the best ways to get Reynolds involved on the big screen with other fan-favorite stars like Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.
When Will Ryan Reynolds Play Deadpool Again?
When asked about the next time that he’ll play Marvel’s Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds hasn’t minced words. So far the only answer that he’s given is that he doesn’t know when exactly he’ll suit back up, though he previously said: “I have some pitches and ideas, but none of them center on Deadpool. He is a great supporting or ensemble player.”
Reynolds did return to play Deadpool for a Christmas-themed video to raise money for charity. It seems likely that another scenario like this could be the next time Reynolds will appear as Deadpool, but when it comes to the big screen there are two major potential places: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Knowing that Avengers: Doomsday already has a long call sheet, Avengers: Secret Wars feels like the place where the smart money would bet on Ryan Reynolds appearing as Deadpool. Assuming that the 2027 movie takes its cues from the 2015 version of Secret Wars (as Marvel has indicated before) it could very well be a movie that is melding multiple continuities together (think Spider-Man: No Way Home, but on steroids), resulting in an MCU that pieces together all the things Marvel Studios wants to work with moving forward.
That in mind, and in keeping with what Marvel’s What If…? revealed today, the bigger question of course is: Which Deadpool will Ryan Reynolds play next? Will it be the one from the movies that fans have come to know and love? Or will it be the armed-to-the-teeth and ready to kill Deadpool teased here? Time till tell, but the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse should watch its back.
