There's a huge amount of excitement surrounding Deadpool 3, particularly with all signs pointing to us returning to the Fox Universe for a reunion with some familiar actors and characters.
Will Fantastic Four's Michael Chiklis, who played The Thing, be among them? It's possible - a Fantasticar was spotted on the threequel's set - but a "leaked" set photo is in no way, shape or form the confirmation some fans believe it to be.
The actor took to X last night to dispute recent claims he'd been spotted on Deadpool 3's set; it's a convincing snap but one we've since learned was cleverly edited. In reality, it's a shot from 2016's Deadpool which shows Ryan Reynolds' Merc with the Mouth standing opposite Colossus, not The Thing.
"FYI folks... This is a FAKE. Sorry to disappoint. So many people have asked about it, I feel it’s necessary to clear this up," Chiklis posted. "I do know who they’re casting though. Not my place to tell but I will say this. I’m a fan of his work and I wish him luck and success with it."
There were once plans for the Fantastic Four to appear in Deadpool 2, though it was the team from 2015's reboot which had been lined up for a cameo.
If Chiklis does reprise his role as Ben Grimm, then we'd bet the hero will be brought to life with VFX similar to what happened with Beast in The Marvels' post-credits scene. Then again, it's possible Marvel Studios would rather sideline Marvel's First Family ahead of 2025's planned Fantastic Four reboot.
We're sure you'll have noticed that the actor also confirms he knows who will play the MCU's new Thing!
Alongside Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Deadpool franchise vets Karan Soni (Dopinder), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Stefan Kapicic (Colossus), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio), and Rob Delaney (Peter) are all confirmed to return in Deadpool 3.
Emma Corrin is expected to play Cassandra Nova, while Matthew Macfadyen will likely take on the role of a TVA agent named Paradox. The trades have confirmed that Jennifer Garner will reprise her role as Elektra, with Wesley Snipes, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Dafne Keen, and even singer Taylor Swift among those rumoured to make cameo appearances in this Multiversal adventure.
Deadpool 3 is set to be released in theaters on July 26, 2024.