We expected Deadpool & Wolverine to kill the Fox Universe; instead, it paid homage to that world, putting the spotlight on legacy heroes like the Human Torch and Elektra, in the process.
There were a great many rumours heading into the movie, including claims Ben Affleck's Daredevil would appear. While the character was referenced (via a cheeky nod to Jennifer Garner's divorce from Affleck), there was ultimately no sign of the Man Without Fear.
Talking to IndieWire, Deadpool & Wolverine writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese admitted they "wanted" Daredevil, with Reese saying, "Did we want to get Ben [Affleck]? We never asked Ben though, I don’t think." Wenick then confirmed, "At some point, Ben was on the list."
Added Reese, "Ben was on the list, but I don’t think it ever came into script pages or actually asking him. One of the great joys of 'Deadpool' is the fact that, in its success, it became easier and easier to attract other folks to the movie. I mean, Ryan has these folks’ names generally on in his Rolodex. Not as though Rolodex exists anymore, but his contact list."
Conspicuous by his absence in the Deadpool threequel was Josh Brolin's Cable. His time-travel device played a crucial role very early in the movie, but there was no sign of the mutant (or, disappointingly, Zazie Beetz's Domino).
Asked whether there was ever a version of the threequel which included Cable, Wernick responded, "Yeah, look, we had access to just about everybody, right? And creatively, we wanted to tap into this idea of people or characters who didn’t get their proper ending at Fox to pay tribute to them, to give them a legacy. I think on the Cable side, absolutely he was considered."
"I think it’s just he was just in 'Deadpool 2.' So, the idea of giving him a proper ending, he’s still a character that, my guess is, will appear in the Fox-Marvel mash-up universe at some point, would be our guess. But he didn’t make the cut on this one, unfortunately. We love him and would love to have seen him in it though."
As for Deadpool & Wolverine's big Thor cameo, the duo confirmed it was recycled footage (presumably from Thor: The Dark World) and as Reese put it, "There have been certain TV shows and movies that have written a flash forward without a real plan and then have to work their way to it. I think that’s the plan here. I mean, we’re either going to ignore it in the long run or we’re going to write to it."
Marvel Studios may have added Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder as a gag, but based on the response from fans, they no longer have a choice: this is a moment which now needs to be revisited in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now playing in theaters.