Doctor Strange 2 Writer Confirms They Talked About a Deadpool Cameo (Exclusive)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is finally out into the world, and the blockbuster is subverting audiences’ expectations with regards to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was surrounded by tons of rumors and theories in the lead-up to its release, with fans speculating at length about which corners of the Marvel multiverse could factor into the film. One prevailing theory was that Multiverse of Madness would serve as the first MCU appearance of Wade Wilson / Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), properly bringing him into the franchise’s canon before the upcoming Deadpool 3.

While those theories didn’t end up coming to pass, as Deadpool didn’t factor into Multiverse of Madness, the film’s screenwriter confirmed that that possibility was considered. While speaking to ComicBook.com about his work on Multiverse of Madness, Michael Waldron revealed that those involved with the film did talk about including Deadpool, but ultimately decided against it.

“Yeah, we talked about it,” Waldron revealed in our interview, which you can check out in the video above. “I think we talked about everything in this movie. So, [it] would’ve been crazy to not raise that, but it ultimately didn’t feel like… It just didn’t feel the right place. But yeah, of course we talked about it.”

Months before Multiverse of Madness debuted, Reynolds had indicated that he wasn’t in the movie — although Marvel fans did not necessarily believe that at the time.

“I’m really not in the movie,” Reynolds told Variety earlier this year. “I’m promising, I’m not in the movie.”

Momentum has been moving forward on Deadpool 3, which will be directed by Free Guy and The Adam Project‘s Shawn Levy, with a script written by Bob’s Burgers‘ Wendy Molyneaux and Lizzie Molyneaux-Loeglin, with Deadpool and Deadpool 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick reportedly also returning to contribute to the script.

“Deadpool, for me, is kind of like an anxiety inducing tightrope walk,” Reynolds told ComicBook.com in an interview last year. “I always think when I’ve got Deadpool just right, I’m speaking from experience from Deadpool 1 & 2, that I need to make it 30 to 40% percent better than it already it is. Even if I’m at the moment where I’m like, ‘This is perfect, this moment!’ Then, I stop and I go, ‘Okay, this has to be 30% better than it already is.’ It’s a stressful thing to get right, or at least right as far as I’m concerned. So, no, I never really thought about it but I did love the idea of playing with Deadpool and Korg in some of the marketing materials given the fact that Taika [Waititi] and I are in the movie. So, I kinda got to scratch the itch, inevitably anyway.”

“I think you’re always gonna zig when everybody’s expecting you to zag when it comes to that character,” Reynolds said of Deadpool possibly making his debut in another film before Deadpool 3. “As long as Disney’s open to doing some pretty wildly divergent or having some wildly divergent uses of Deadpool then I dig it, man. I think it’s all great.”

What do you think of Deadpool not appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters. Deadpool 3 does not currently have a release date.