Deadpool 3 Set Photo Shows Obscure Fantastic Four Easter Egg

New Deadpool 3 set photos have sparked even more burning questions and speculation about the multiverse. The new images show Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) — wearing his classic comic-accurate costume — claws out in a fight with who appears to be Tyler Mane’s Sabretooth from 2000’s X-Men movie. But what’s more interesting is a background detail that suggests a nod to another former Fox-verse franchise: Fantastic Four. Parked just out of frame is a classic hot rod emblazoned with flames, which appears to be a recreation of the Human Torch’s hot rod from an obscure comic book. 

In the young reader comic book Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #12, printed in 2006, Johnny Storm — the hot-headed hero who flames on as the fiery Human Torch — tricks out Reed Richards’ classic car from college. But when it appears that the tyrant Doctor Doom steals the Human Torch’s flying car for a joyride, the Fantastic Four track the souped-up speedster to Latveria.

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In Doom’s domain of Latveria, an inventor reveals he used a decoy Doombot toreturn the vehicle to its rightful owner: Victor Von Doom, who tradedthe “petty contraption” to Reed while they were in college. The issue’stitle: “Doom, Where’s My Car?!”

Currently, filming is taking place on the set where a giant recreation of the 20th Century Fox logo lies in ruins, which raises another question: is this a multiversal wasteland like the Void, a place at the End of Time where branched timelines and variants pruned by the Time Variance Authority ended up in Loki? After all, the Void was host to Easter eggs and long-lost relics like the Thanos-copter.

Could the hot rod’s owner be the Human Torch played by Chris Evans in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer? Evans has seemingly ruled out returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, but the actor is open to reprising his role as Johnny Storm.

“I really love that character, but I think… aren’t they doing something now with Fantastic Four?” Evans said in a 2022 interview with MTV News, referring to Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four reboot. But with multiversal variants popping up in Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Evans said, “I guess all bets are off. Yeah.Look, I would love it. I would love it. That would actually be an easiersell to me than coming back as Cap.”

“Cap is so precious to me. And you know, I almost don’t wannadisrupt what a beautiful experience that was,” Evans added. “But Johnny Storm, I feellike he didn’t really get his day. That was before Marvel really foundits footing. So I loved that role and, you know, who knows.”

Marvel Studios’ Deadpool 3 is scheduled to open in theaters July 26, 2024.