Deadpool & Wolverine brought the Merc with the Mouth into the MCU, but despite visiting the TVA and The Void, much of the action played out on Earth 10005, a.k.a. the X-Men Universe.
The movie concluded with Wade Wilson and Logan becoming (reluctant) BFFs, and the expectation now is that we'll see them and Earth 10005's mutants in next December's Avengers: Doomsday. However, neither Ryan Reynolds nor Hugh Jackman has been confirmed for the movie.
Reynolds has everyone talking today after sharing a post with the Avengers logo covered by a red anarchy-style "A." A different version of this piece of imagery was included as a flag in Deadpool & Wolverine; you may recall seeing it in Cassandra Nova's base.
Is this Reynolds confirming his return as the Merc with the Mouth in Avengers: Doomsday? Could it have anything to do with recent chatter about Marvel Studios planning a second cast reveal for the movie? For now, it's hard to say.
The movie would benefit greatly from the addition of bigger stars and characters, especially as many of the movie's current leads took centre stage in Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The latter has done okay at the box office, but the other two majorly underperformed this year.
"I don’t think he should ever be an Avenger or an X-Man," Reynolds previously said. "If he becomes either, we’re at the end."
Asked if that means he'd turn down Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, or even the eventual X-Men reboot, he responded, "Just the opposite! I think Deadpool works so well appearing with the X-Men and Avengers, but he always needs to stay an outsider. His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted."
"His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies. If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey," Reynolds noted.
While we wouldn't expect Deadpool to be an official Avenger, Deadpool & Wolverine strongly hinted at a team-up with Thor that ends with Wade Wilson making a heroic sacrifice. We have to believe the Russo Brothers, Reynolds, and Chris Hemsworth will look to make that a reality.
Talking about his possible role in Avengers: Doomsday earlier this year, Hugh Jackman said, "I really can’t say much, except when you say 'appear,' more like dominate and destroy every other character—I’m kidding. I really have nothing to add, and if I did, I would find a really cool way to not say it, but I actually have nothing to add."
Check out Reynolds' cryptic Instagram post below.