Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy recently confirmed that at least some of the numerous cameo rumors that have been doing the rounds since before the movie even started filming were accurate, while others were way off the mark - but he didn't drop so much as a hint about which characters might be joining Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in the Merc With a Mouth's MCU debut.
While speaking to the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, the Stranger Things helmer/EP remained tight-lipped on the matter, but did mention that he was surprised by how easy it was to secure certain actors for certain roles.
"What blew my mind is how easy some of those cameos have been," Levy admitted. "People love Deadpool. People love Ryan [Reynolds]. Thankfully, people also seem to like my work. They know that Ryan and I are in a groove of creative brotherhood that is unique and seems to be working."
"So, yeah, I love that there's been a proliferation of casting rumors around my movie because there's so many that it's impossible to know what's real and what's made-up," the filmmaker continued. "So, all I'll say is that starting with Ryan and Hug, some that the world knows about: Matthew McFadyen, Emma Corrin, really just going to work is a delight."
"Some of those cameos" would obviously indicate that there's going to be a few of 'em, but it sounds like Deadpool 3 is going to be much more than just an endless parade of returning characters.
"I'm gonna say this: f**kload more than you think," Levy told host Josh Horowitz when asked if fans can expect many emotional moments in the threequel. "I'm so wary, but one thing Ryan and I were very really united in was wanting to make Deadpool 3 very much consistent and continuous with the franchise DNA, but to see where we could evolve in this third movie."
"Once we knew it was a Wolverine/Deadpool movie, my god! What a gift to any storyteller," Levy continued. "Because not only do you have two icon actors playing their most iconic roles, but you have two characters whose dynamic is already famously fraught. And anytime you're dealing with characters who start from a place of deep dislike and conflict and difference from each other... the mouth [Deadpool], and the like surly laconic man of few words [Wolverine], what a great formula for storytelling. And ultimately the movie does have much more character, depth, and heart than I think anyone is expecting."
Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Rob Delaney (Peter), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) And Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio) will all return as their respective characters, and they'll be joined by franchise newcomers Emma Corrin (The Crown), who is believed to be playing Cassandra Nova, and Matthew Macfadyen (Succession).
Specific lot details remain a mystery for now, but Wade and Wolvie are expected to find themselves (trapped?) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A recent report claimed that Loki's TVA, including Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Miss Minutes, will be involved. We have also been led to believe that Wade's MCU debut will be far more integral to Phase 5 and beyond than we first realized.
Deadpool 3 was scheduled to hit theaters on May 3, 2024, but the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike will likely cause a delay. Though nothing has been made official, the trades believe the film will be pushed back to July.