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Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine ending explained

How does Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine end? What were the surprise cameos? We have answers - spoiler-y answers.

Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Thu Jul 25 2024

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What happens when you put Deadpool and Wolverine in a Disney film? Chaos, mayhem, gratuitous violence, raunchy humor, and a cavalcade of cameos.

Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine has arrived in theaters, and it’s full ofaction, adventure, and surprises. However, the latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe might leave you with some questions. For example, what does the ending mean for the MCU as a whole? Are the 20^th Century Fox X-Men part of the MCU now? Plus, I’m sure you have questions about all of those insane cameos.

Popverse is here to break down all your Deadpool & Wolverine questions….but be warned…there are lots of spoilers ahead.

Want to see it for yourself? Buy tickets for Deadpool & Wolverine on Fandango or Atom Tickets.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Deadpool & Wolverine!

What happened in the Deadpool & Wolverine ending?

Cassandra Nova hijacks a TVA machine that has the power to destroy multiple timelines. Deadpool and Wolverine reverse the process, seemingly sacrificing their lives. Don’t worry, they’re both fine, but we do get a brief death fake-out. However, the machine overloads and vaporizes Cassandra.

The TVA detain Paradox for going rogue. Deadpool asks the TVA to reverse the damage done to Wolverine’s timeline, but they refuse. They explain that those events made Wolverine the hero he is, and if they were undone, he never would’ve stopped Cassandra Nova. However, the TVA does promise to free the other heroes from the Void (more on them later).

Wolverine and Laura make a new home for themselves on back on Earth-10005 (The X-Men movies continuity), and Wade reconciles with Vanessa.

How does Wolverine come back to life in Deadpool & Wolverine after his death in Logan?

Deadpool & Wolverine doesn’t undo Logan’s ending. The original Logan from the 20^th Century Fox X-Men films is still dead. Deadpool confirms this by digging up his corpse. The only thing that remains is an Adamantium skeleton.

So, how is Wolverine in the movie? The version of Logan we see in Deadpool & Wolverine is a variant from another timeline. This Wolverine comes from a world where the X-Men were killed, leaving Logan broken and alone.

Was Lady Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine?

Yes, Lady Deadpool shows up for the last act of Deadpool & Wolverine. In fact, she brings the entire Deadpool Corps with her. Lady Deadpool, Kidpool, Headpool, and the rest of the Deadpool Corps have an epic fight scene with Deadpool and Wolverine, resulting in one of the film’s best sequences. For a moment it seems like Wolverine and Deadpool have killed the entire Deadpool Corps….until their healing factors kick in. However, Peter Wisdom shows up before the fight begins again. Peter is universally beloved by every Deadpool across the multiverse, and he convinces them not to fight.

Who plays Lady Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine?

There have been lots of rumors about Lady Deadpool’s identity, ranging from Taylor Swift to Morena Baccarin. Some even speculated that she might be played by Ryan Reynolds!

Lady Deadpool never removes her mask, so if you want to know her true identity then you have to pay attention to the end credits. According to the credits, Lady Deadpool is played by Blake Lively. The actress has been married to Ryan Reynolds since 2012. Lively was a popular guess for Lady Deadpool’s identity, particularly after she wore a Deadpool inspired outfit to the film’s premiere.

What were the Deadpool & Wolverine mid-credits and post-credits?

Deadpool & Wolverine has a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene. The mid-credits scene is a montage of behind-the-scenes footage from various Marvel movies produced by 20^th Century Fox. Many familiar faces are seen during this montage, including Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. This footage is set to the Green Day song ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).’ It’s a wonderful tribute to 20^th Century Fox’s Marvel movies.

The post-credits scene features Deadpool claiming that he wasn’t responsible for Johnny Storm’s death. To recap, during the film Deadpool claims that Johnny called Cassandra Nova a series of insulting names. This enrages Nova, who uses her powers to skin Johnny, instantly killing him. It looked like Deadpool had goaded Cassandra into doing this, but the post-credits scene gives us more context.

Deadpool uses a TVA machine to show us a conversation between him and the Torch before they reached Cassandra’s base. Johnny calls Cassandra every single name and insult that we had heard Deadpool say earlier in the movie. Johnny ends this tirade saying, “And you can quote me.” Deadpool then turns off the TVA’s video replay, feeling vindicated.

It doesn’t give us any clues about the MCU’s future, but it was nice to see more of Chris Evans.

Were there any surprise cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine?

Brace yourself, because Deadpool & Wolverine had a lot of cameos. A LOT of cameos. I know we already gave a spoiler warning at the top of this article, but I’m giving you all another chance to turn back before reading further, because there are a ton of surprise characters.

Still here? Okay, here we go….

Jon Favreau reprises his role as Happy Hogan. He is seen in the first act of the film when Wade Wilson travels to Earth 616 to try out for the Avengers.
Chris Hemsworth appears as Thor via repurposed archival footage. A scene from Thor: The Dark World is edited to make it look like Thor is cradling Deadpool’s wounded body.
When Wade travels the multiverse to find the perfect Logan, we see Hugh Jackman portray several variants of the character, including Patch and Old Man Logan. Henry Cavill also plays one version of Logan.
Deadpool runs into the Hulk during his multiversal travels. We don’t see the Hulk’s head, so you can pretend that it’s Eric Bana, Edward Norton, or Mark Ruffalo.
Chris Evans has a lengthy cameo when Deadpool and Wolverine arrive in the Void. However, he isn’t playing Captain America….he’s reprising his role as Johnny Storm aka the Human Torch from 20^th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four films. This is the first time Evans has played the character since 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Johnny is killed by Cassandra Nova.
Numerous villains from the 20^th Century Fox X-Men films can also be seen in the Void. This includes Aaron Stanford as Pyro and Tyler Mane as Sabretooth. We also see Toad, Lady Deathstrike, Juggernaut, and Azazel.
While they’re trapped in the Void, Deadpool & Wolverine team up with a group of freedom fighters comprised of legacy Marvel film characters. This group includes Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, and Dafne Keen as Laura/X-23.
The group of Void freedom fighters also includes Channing Tatum as Gambit. This is a reference to 20^th Century Fox’s unproduced Gambit film. Tatum was originally set to star as Gambit, but the film was cancelled when Disney acquired 20^th Century Fox.
Wunmi Mosaku reprises her role as Hunter B-15 from Loki. Hunter B-15 shows up towards the end to help clean up the mess Paradox made.
The Deadpool Corps shows up in the final act to battle Deadpool and Wolverine. We get TONS of Deadpool variants, including Lady Deadpool, Kidpool, Headpool, Dogpool, Cowboy Deadpool and more.

Was Taylor Swift in Deadpool & Wolverine?

No, Taylor Swift does not show up in Deadpool & Wolverine. Months before release, there were rumors that Taylor Swift would cameo as the mutant disco singer Dazzler. Ryan Reynolds debunked those rumors, but speculation persisted. While the film features dozens of surprise cameos, Taylor Swift is not in Deadpool & Wolverine, and neither is Dazzler. Sorry Swifties.

Who died in Deadpool & Wolverine?

Folks, this movie was a bloodbath. What were you expecting from a Deadpool & Wolverine movie?

Sabretooth was beheaded during a battle with Wolverine. The Chris Evans version of Johnny Storm is killed by Cassandra Nova after Deadpool claims he insulted her honor. Juggernaut, Toad, and most of the 20^th Century Fox X-Men villains were killed during a battle with Blade, Elektra, Gambit, and X-23. Pyro is killed by Cassandra Nova as punishment for betraying her. Nicepool (the polite and handsome version of Deadpool) is killed when his head is blown off by the Deadpool Corps. It turns out he doesn’t have a healing factor. Cassandra Nova is killed when she’s caught in an explosion of matter and anti-matter.

Oh and dozens of TVA agents are killed by both sides.

Like I said, it’s a bloodbath.

How does Deadpool & Wolverine affect the MCU story as a whole?

Deadpool & Wolverine ends with Wade and the other X-Men characters remaining on Earth-10005. However, the line between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Fox’s X-Men films has been blurred. We’ve already seen Patrick Stewart as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels ended with Monica Rambeau stranded what appeared to be Earth-10005. The two timelines seem to be converging….

The film also hints at an interesting future for Wade Wilson in the MCU. The TVA initially recruits Wade Wilson, believing that he has an essential purpose on Earth-616, aka the Sacred Timeline. A TVA monitor displays an image of Thor crying over a wounded (or possibly dead) Deadpool, but Paradox claims that event hasn’t happened yet. Could this be a glimpse into a future MCU project? It’s possible that this is a hint for the upcoming film Avengers: Secret Wars. In fact, a copy of the Secret Wars comic can be seen on the ground when Deadpool wakes up in the void. Hmmmm

Will there be a Deadpool & Wolverine sequel?

Marvel Studios hasn’t announced any plans for a Deadpool & Wolverine sequel. However, it’s safe to assume that one will be happening – especially if this film does well.

Deadpool continues to be popular, so it’s doubtful that Marvel will be putting one of their A-listers on the sidelines. Plus, now that Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine, Marvel Studios is probably eager to put him alongside their other cinematic heroes.

Nothing has been announced yet, but if a Deadpool & Wolverine sequel is greenlit, Popverse will add it to our list of upcoming superhero movies.

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.