DEADPOOL 2 SPOILERS - 40+ Easter Eggs, References, In Jokes, And Cameos You Need To See - Part 1
We've combed through Deadpool 2 to track down the biggest and best Easter Eggs, including nods to other franchises, crazy cameos, and references meant solely for comic book fans. Here's the first batch...
Superhero movies are always full of Easter Eggs for comic books fans (some haven't even been spotted yet if Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is to be believed) but Deadpool 2 features literally hundreds of them. There is an insane number of references, cameos, and nods to the comic books in the R-Rated sequel and we've combed through them all to bring you the biggest and best ones.
There are, in fact, so many that we've had to split them into two separate articles and this is the first part. We'll bring you the second tomorrow (if you can't wait, then you'll find a link at the end of this post) but there are more than enough to keep you going and we're confident you probably didn't catch too many of these as they're easy to miss. So, to check the list out in full, click the "View List" button.
T.J. Miller's Sexual Misconduct Scandal
When Russell's attack is first reported on the news, the ticker on the screen says Christian Plummer refused a role in Deadpool 2. That's a very meta joke and a reference to the actor replacing Kevin Spacey in All The Money In The World after he too (like T.J. Miller) was accused of sexual misconduct.
Les Miserables
We know that Ryan Reynolds has a bit of thing (obsession?) with Hugh Jackman so it probably won't surprise you to learn that the actor managed to include a very clever nod to the actor's career in Deadpool 2. That comes when we see that Russell's prisoner number is "24601" just like Jean Valjean.
Wolverine Cereal
During his battle with Cable, Deadpool finds himself thrown into Essex House where he comes across a kid tucking into some cereal. On the box, however, is a picture of Hugh Jackman's in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Needless to say, it won't surprise you to learn he signs the pack from Ryan Reynolds!
Fire Fist
Ahead of the release of Deadpool 2, there was a lot of speculation about which mutant from the comic books Julian Dennison might be playing. The sequel quickly reveals that he's Fire Fist, a character introduced back in 1986. However, while their powers are the same, their stories are very different.
Essex House
In the movie, Russell is forced to endure abuse in The Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation. It goes without saying that's a reference to Nathanial Essex, a character better known to comic book fans as Mister Sinister. His arrival in the X-Men Universe was also teased in X-Men: Apocalypse and Logan.
The Cure For Blindness
Following Vanessa's death, Deadpool returns to Blind Al's apartment and pulls up the floorboards to reveal both some cocaine and something that's labelled as the cure for blindness. As you may recall, the Merc with the Mouth told her in the first movie that both of those things were hidden in her home.
Passion Of The Christ
It takes no time at all for Wade Wilson to break the fourth wall as he references that the success of the first movie has put him up there with Jesus himself. However, while he notes that Passion of the Christ is still the highest grossing R-Rated movie domestically, Deadpool managed to beat it overseas.
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
When Deadpool is rattling out excuse after excuse for why he was late for date night with Vanessa, he mentions being caught up fighting a caped badass whose mother was also named Martha, an obvious not to one of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's most widely ridiculed and memorable moments.
Cable's Height
In the comic books, Cable is a pretty imposing fella measuring a mighty 6'8". Josh Brolin, on the other hand, is around 5'11", a major departure from the source material. Deadpool makes fun of that fact when he points out how much shorter the big screen version of the character is in comparison.
Barakapool Returns
It took fans a very long time to forgive Fox for the appalling way Deadpool was handled in X-Men Origins: Wolverine but the Merc with the Mouth himself finally sets things right in this sequel when he travels back in time to gun down his doppelganger as Wolverine (it's stock footage) watches on.
Can't Draw Feet
Deadpool isn't initially very impressed with Domino or her good luck powers and he refers to her as sounding like someone who was probably created by a person unable to draw feet. If you're at all familiar with Rob Liefeld's work, you'll be well aware that a cheeky nod to the artist who created her.
Alpha Flight
Surprisingly, we still haven't seen Alpha Flight brought to the big screen but there is a fun nod to them in Deadpool 2 as the sign atop Dopinder's cab is advertising a travel agency and cheap flights to the Great White North. Here's hoping that the team gets the spotlight somewhere down the line, though.
Pryor's Treats
During Cable's attack on that convoy, an ice cream truck can be spotted labelled "Pryor's Treats." While that name may not be instantly familiar, fans of the character will know that his mother is Jean Grey imposter Madelyne Pryor. It's a nice touch and one which many will no doubt greatly appreciate.
James Bond
Deadpool 2 brilliantly spoofs a classic James Bond opening sequence by setting a stylish (and often crude) series of graphics to a Celine Dion song written specifically for the sequel. However, the names of everyone involved are replaced by proclamations of shock that the movie dared to kill of Vanessa.
John Wick
Talking of that impressive opening sequence, the movie's director - David Leitch - is referred to as "One Of The Men Who Killed John Wick's Dog." That's obviously a reference to the fact he co-directed John Wick, a movie which revolved around an assassin getting retribution for the murder of his dog.
Legion
Is this a deliberate crossover or pure coincidence? I'd place money on the latter but that kid in Essex House that Deadpool signs the cereal box for is Luke Roessler, the actor who plays a young version of David Haller in Legion. We know timelines don't exactly make sense in the X-Men Universe regardless.
Deadpool Gets Torn In Half
As you may recall, the Ultimate version of The Hulk tore Wolverine in half at one point and threw his legs miles away from him (leading to the mutant having to drag himself back to them). In Deadpool 2, The Juggernaut rips the Merc with the Mouth in two in what feels like a scene inspired by that.
Matt Damon And Alan Tudyk
It's almost impossible to spot but the two hicks having a conversation about the benefits of using baby wipes on their butts are actually Matt Damon (who made a similarly memorable cameo appearance in Thor: Ragnarok) and Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Who'd have guessed they'd show up?
Frozen
We heard that there was a running joke about Frozen in Deadpool 2 and it turns out that it's Wade Wilson constantly referencing the similarities between that movie's "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and Yently's "Papa can you hear me?" Ironically, Josh Brolin is Barbara Streisand's stepson!
The Credits
Like the first movie, Deadpool 2 features a very stylish credits sequence but does the artwork look at all familiar to you? It should because it was provided by Skottie Young, a comic book artist who is no stranger to the Marvel Universe and who has provided a lot of fun takes on this character.
Stranger Things
During the movie's mid-credits scene, Yukio and Negasonic Teenage Warhead manage to fix Cable's time-travelling device. How they managed that is never made clear but Wade Wilson is very happy to get his hands on it and he refers to the latter as "Eleven," a pretty fun reference to Stranger Things.
Star Wars
It appears as if Deadpool 2 was shot too late to include any jokes at the expense of Star Wars: The Last Jedi but we do see Wade Wilson get seriously confused about the original movies when he points out to Vanessa that they were all about children becoming their fathers and ultimately nailing their sisters.