Every Deadpool & Wolverine Easter egg explained: Fantastic Four, X-Men & more

After over 250 days of waiting, the latest Marvel movie, Deadpool 3, is finally here. There’s so much to unpack with this one, so we took the trouble of collecting every single Deadpool & Wolverine Easter egg for you.

So, was it worth the wait? Well, it depends on who you ask. Our own ‘Pundit with a Pun,’ Cameron Frew, was a big fan (read his Deadpool & Wolverine review here), although he had some reservations about the latest addition to the Marvel timeline.

That said, the esteemed Mr Frew was very clear about one thing: this was a superhero movie for the Marvel hardcore, and it’s bursting at the seams with Easter eggs, cameos, and references.

So, as a diligent scholar of all things MCU, I’ve gone through the newest MCU movie with a fine-tooth comb to bring you a definitive list of every single Deadpool & Wolverine Easter egg so you can impress your friends with your astounding eye for detail and impressive knowledge of pop culture (Disclaimer: Friends may not be impressed, explaining Deadpool to your parents may cause disappointment, always read the label, consult with a doctor if you experience chest pain). Also, spoilers, obviously!

Cable’s time machine

If you had been watching carefully, you might have noticed that during his Avengers try-out at the start of Deadpool & Wolverine, Wade Wilson is wearing a rather spiffy watch. It’s not actually a watch, though; it’s Cable’s time machine, which is presumably how Deadpool made it to the Sacred Timeline in the first place.

March 18, 2018

Deadpool visited Happy’s office on March 18, 2018. While there’s nothing significant about this date that I can find (besides the Deadpool vs Funko! Pop set being #318, which is probably a coincidence rather than a deliberate joke), it does mean the film technically opens pre-Infinity War.

Thanos began his quest on May 23, which means the MCU is about two months from disaster, and it explains why Deadpool’s auditioning for the Avengers. After all, Cap and Iron Man still aren’t on speaking terms at this point, and the Avengers are in disarray; no wonder Tony was willing to consider Deadpool… even after he smashturbated in the lobby.

Happy’s office

Happy Hogan’s office was a literal treasure trove of Easter eggs hidden in plain sight. Here are the smaller ones we spotted 

• MK 2 Iron Man Helmet: The silver helmet was on the table behind Happy’s chair.
• Cap’s prototype shield: The shield prototype that used to be in Tony’s garage has been moved to Happy’s office as well.
• The Mark V briefcase: On Happy’s shelves, you could see the Mark V Iron Man suit, aka the Silver Centurion briefcase armor, which Tony used to fight Whiplash.
• Tony’s first arc reactor: Happy’s got what appears to be the arc reactor Pippa gave to Tony. 
• A kid’s Iron Man helmet: Behind Deadpool, you can see a child’s homemade Iron Man mask. Those who know their MCU will know, though, that helmet belonged to the kid who confronted Justin Hammer’s Iron Drones during the Stark Expo in Iron Man 2. 

Cap cards

Happy’s office isn’t just full of discarded Iron Man suits and tech. Behind his chair, if you were looking carefully, you could see a collection of Captain America cards. These are the same cards Phil Coulson used to collect, that he got Steve Rogers to sign before his untimely death during the first Avengers movie.

I want pictures! Pictures of Spider-Man!

Spider-Man may not have made his rumored cameo, but he very nearly did. During Deadpool’s visit to Avengers Tower, there’s a moment when we see a photo of Tony Stark obscured by the aforementioned hand-made Iron Man helmet. That’s actually a photo of Tony and Peter Parker, the same picture that inspired Iron Man to help invent time travel in Endgame. We’re guessing Sony said no to Disney on the cameo, then?

TVA and Mr Paradox

The TVA isn’t an Easter egg; they’re an important plot point. That said, Mr Paradox’s irritated rantings about the new management and the chaos of the new multiverse are a reference to Loki Season 2, which ended with the TVA reforming and no longer purging variant timelines. Instead, they allow them to grow and branch naturally, something that clearly gets under the skin of the new Deadpool villain.

Rob McElhenney

Did you wonder where Rob McElhenney, Reynolds’s other best bud, was in the film? Afterall, his cameo was confirmed months ago. Well, it was hidden in plain sight, of course! McElhenney played one of the TVA goons.

Thor and Cap!

If you were watching carefully when Deadpool gets to the TVA, you’d see Captain America and Thor make quick appearances on the viewscreen. Ok, the Thor one might not be an Easter egg because Deadpool directly references it, BUT did you know that it’s just edited footage of Loki’s ‘death’ in Thor: The Dark World?

Patch

If you were wondering who the Wolverine in the snazzy white tux was, that was Patch. This is an alias Wolverine took while he was undercover on the island of Madripoor, who gets his nickname from his eye patch… creative, right?

Yeah, we’re not sure why Logan thought wearing an eye patch would make him unrecognizable, especially with that haircut, but it’s comics, isn’t it? If Superman can trick the world’s greatest journalists with a pair of glasses from the dollar store, then an eye patch should more than do the job.

Age of Apocalypse

While dimension-hopping, Deadpool is attacked by a one-handed Wolverine variant in a red and black suit. While it was only a brief trip, this was actually Earth-295, better known as the Age of Apocalypse.

As the name suggests in this timeline, the mutant tyrant Apocalypse conquered the planet after the death of Charles Xavier. As you can imagine, it’s a pretty dark timeline, which is saying something, considering how many terrible futures the X-Men have visited or averted. Thankfully, Deadpool didn’t hang about before making his next time jump.

Real Old Man Logan 

Everyone knows that Logan drew some inspiration from the infamous Old Man Logan, and that’s true. Still, if we’re being honest, Logan’s Wolverine wasn’t that old, was he? So it was good to see the Deadpool team giving us a version of Old Man Logan, who’d just walked off the pages of a comic book. 

Tiny Wolverine

A lot has been made about Wolverine finally wearing his famous yellow spandex. Yet Deadpool & Wolverine gives us another version of Logan, who’s far more accurate to the comics in the form of a short wolverine. You see, when film fans picture Wolverine, they no doubt think of the strapping Hugh Jackman, a man so gorgeous that Ryan Reynolds has spent the last decade or so pining over him.

In fact, though, Wolverine in the comics isn’t exactly supermodel material, nor is he as tall as Hugh. In fact, he’s quite short. Very short, actually. At just 5’3″, Wolverine is a whole 11 inches shorter than Jackman, who stands at an impressive 6’2″. This caused some consternation among comics purists back in the early 2000s when Jackman took the role, so it was nice to see Wolverine embrace his ‘short king-ness’ for a change.

Brown Suit Wolverine vs Hulk

For as long as there have been superhero movies, fans have wanted Wolverine to go toe-to-toe with the Incredible Hulk. It makes sense, considering we first met Logan in the pages of Bruce Banner’s solo series, but unfortunately, studio licensing deals have kept Marvel’s angriest characters apart.

Until now, that is. While we don’t get to see the fight itself, we do get a quick glimpse of Wolverine in the brown suit designed for him by John Byrne and a brief shot of the back of the Hulk’s head. It’s not a lot, I know, but we’ll take it, especially as it’s clearly a fun homage to Incredible Hulk #340’s legendary cover art.

Crucified Wolverine

During a visit to one of the more harrowing Earths that Deadpool visits, we see a variant of Logan who’s been crucified on a giant X. No, this wasn’t a gag about how Wolverine is the real Marvel Jesus (although he is) it’s actually a recreation of Marc Silvestri’s iconic Uncanny X-Men #251 cover.

The Man of Adamantium?

Remember when Ryan Reynolds said only Hugh Jackman could play Wolverine? Well, that turned out to be bullsh*t because Henry Cavill makes a brief appearance as Logan. Cavill’s name has been in contention to take over the role since Jackman hung up his adamantium claws back in 2017, so it’s hardly surprising to see the Deadpool team reference that. Unfortunately, though, this is probably a bit like John Krasinski’s appearance as Mister Fantastic; a fun nod to fan-casting, but he’s unlikely to appear again.

Still Game

While the world’s busy losing its mind at some of the other Deadpool & Wolverine cameos, we here at Dexerto know who the real big names are. The comedian Greg Hemphill, best known for his work on the brilliant sitcom Still Game, makes a quick appearance as the barman yelling at Logan. That must make a nice change for Greg, who made his name playing the pensioner Victor, who enjoyed nothing more than yelling at barmen. Although, to be fair, Boabby was a “wee pr*ck”.

Low point

One of the best gags in the whole film comes when Deadpool meets up with Wolverine and welcomes him to the MCU. This being Deadpool, of course, he can’t help but make a dig at the expense of his new business daddy, and Wade tells Logan that he’s joining at a bit of a low point. This is a clear reference to the recent critical (and commercial) slump Marvel has found itself in over the last few years. Was this a mean-spirited gag? Yes. Funny too.

20th Century who?

When Deadpool and Wolverine are sent to the Void, they land in an area full of purged items from across the various Marvel timelines. Still, what really caught our attention was the half-buried 20th Century Fox logo, which can be seen behind Deadpool.

Fox used the now-defunct logo up until March 2019 when they were bought by Disney (the very deal that allowed Deadpool and the X-Men to join the MCU) and it’s since been replaced by the frankly worse 20th Century Studios’ logo. Why is it worse? I don’t know. I guess I just don’t like change.

Evil Cap shield

This one’s a particularly deep-cut reference, but when Deadpool and Wolverine first land in the Void, you can see, for probably a second or two, an arrow-shaped variant of Captain America’s shield poking out of the sand.

What’s cool about this particular design, however, is that it isn’t the one used by the righteous Star-Spangled Man with a Plan. It’s actually the one wielded by an evil Steve Rogers (aka Hydra Cap, aka, Stevil, aka Bizarro Steve Rogers, aka Captain Octopushead) from the comics. This reference was, in fact, such an obscure one I messaged Shawn Levy to check I wasn’t seeing things… we’ll get back to you on this particular Deadpool & Wolverine Easter egg.

Chris Evans as Human Torch

Chris Evans swore he was done with Captain America after bowing out of the MCU in Avengers: Endgame. Well, he’s managed to keep that promise so far, but he clearly didn’t want to miss out on the fun of a new Deadpool movie, and luckily for him, there was another Marvel role he could reprise.

Yes, Chris Evans makes a cameo as the Johnny Storm we first saw in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie. I’m glad to see him, but I’m a bit disappointed they didn’t get Michael Chiklis back as The Thing.

Moon Knight

Did you spot the Moon Knight reference? No, we’re not talking about those random pyramids. There was another blink, and you’ll miss it Deadpool & Wolverine Easter egg for fans of the Fist of Vengeance that might have passed you by.

It certainly passed me by, but Moon Knight superfan Clarisse Loughrey got in touch to point out that the yellow van behind Wolverine is the same one Steven Grant uses to escape from the Swiss Alps in Moon Knight Episode 1. Clarisse also went on to claim that this was proof that Moon Knight Season 2 was about to be announced… we’ll let her dream.

Fantasticar

Did you like Pyro’s Mad Max-inspired roadster? Yeah, I know it looked like a bathtub on wheels, but I thought it was fantastic. Why? Well, that was the first time we’ve ever got a comics-accurate, live-action version of the MK1 Fantasticar first introduced all the way back in Fantastic Four #3. Here’s hoping Pedro Pascal and Marvel’s first family have a similar ride when they make their MCU debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The Benetar!

When Deadpool, Logan, and Johnny are being transported to Cassandra Nova‘s compound, there’s a quick shot of the Bennetar – the ship the Guardians of the Galaxy used in Infinity War, Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder – half buried in the sand.

Ant-Manor

We’ve known for a long time that Cassandra Nova’s using a giant Ant-Man skeleton as her base, but what you might not know is that this is a direct reference to Old Man Logan. In the classic Wolverine comic, Giant-Man dies while enlarged, and his skeleton becomes a landmark known as Pym Falls.

Cameos galore!

Cassandra Nova’s group of mutants is basically a buffet of cameos from previous X-Men movies, so rather than tackle them all individually, we’re just going to list them. Is that lazy? You might say so, but I’d call it efficient.

• Pyro: Cassandra Nova’s second in command and a TVA spy; we first met Pyro in X2, where he had a rivalry with Iceman.
• Azrael: A demonic mutant with the power to teleport who made Charles Xavier’s life difficult during X-Men: First Class.
• Juggernaut: You know him, you love him, it’s the Juggernaut b*tch. Sadly, he’s not played by Vinnie Jones, who we last saw in X-Men: The Last Stand.
• Sabertooth: The original Sabertooth from X-Men (2000) has a quick fight before dying at the claws of Wolverine.
• Lady Deathstrike: Remember her from X2? She’s the woman with the killer fingernails.
• Toad: Toad’s clearly got over being struck by lightning, making his first appearance since the original X-Men movie.
• Callisto: Another Last Stand cameo, even though we had forgotten Callisto existed, to be honest.
• The Russian: A villain from The Punisher (2004), this might be the film’s most obscure cameo.

We also get very quick mentions of Daredevil, Quicksilver, Magneto, and Punisher, but they don’t make proper appearances.

Cassandra Nova’s astonishing attacks

Cassandra Nova is an extremely powerful mutant and the twin sister of Charles Xavier (sort of). In Deadpool and Wolverine, she has a nasty habit of putting her hand through her enemies; this isn’t just because she’s a fan of the film Society. It’s actually a reference to the Astonishing X-Men comics where she made her debut, where she used a similar power to merge with a member of the Trask family so she could take over his Sentinels.

Alioth

To paraphrase Deadpool, “Oh wow, it’s Alioth from Loki Season 1 Episode 5.” Alioth is, of course, the matter-consuming cloud monster that periodically purges the Void of any and all life.

A superhero’s best friend

The Dogpool in Deadpool & Wolverine might be uglier than the comic book equivalent, but we’re just as charmed by this super-good pup. The original Dogpool is a male dog from Earth-103173 and was a member of the Deadpool Corps. Unfortunately, unlike his (female) silver screen counterpart, Dogpool didn’t survive his adventure access to the multiverse. An evil version of Deadpool sent Dogpool to the dog park in the sky, and I’m still not over it…

Nicepool

One of the stranger Deadpool Variants is Nicepool (called Goodpool in the comics). As you may have guessed, he’s a kinder, unscarred version of Wade who wears a nicer suit and seems like a generally good guy.

He’s ultimately everything a good Deadpool shouldn’t be and is clearly a playful reference to studio interference, which has a tendency to sand the rough edges of characters, making them less interesting in the process. Indeed, in the end, we learn that Nicepool doesn’t even have a healing factor, and he can’t fight due to his low bone density. Basically, he’s Deadpool in name only.

Wanda

Deadpool & Wolverine is a film about exploring the Multiverse, but it isn’t the first film to do so. Multiverse of Madness definitely walked so this film could run. It’s only right then that there’s a Deadpool & Wolverine Easter egg paying tribute to that film.

If you were paying attention during the scene where we’re introduced to Blade, Elektra, Gambit, and X-23, you might have noticed a sculpture of Wanda Maimoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, on the wall. It appeared to be the same statue from Mount Wundagore; could it be the same one we saw in Multiverse of Madness somehow transported to the Void? Could that mean Wanda survived? Who knows.

Elektra

If you’d have told me in 2005 that one day I’d be excited to see Jennifer Gardner back as Elektra, I’d have punched you in the face. Well, if I had done that, I would have owed you an apology, as seeing her and other Fox-verse characters return for one more outing was a surprising, moving highlight in a particularly glib movie.

Blade makes his MCU debut

After several failed attempts to get a new solo movie off the ground, Blade finally makes his MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine… it’s just not the one we expected. Wesley Snipes reprises the role that arguably kicked off the superhero movie craze and even makes a pointed reference to there only being “one Blade”. Unfortunately, with all the bad luck Mahershala Ali’s version is having, he might not be wrong.

Remember it.

Cast your mind back to 2016, and you may remember Fox announcing a new movie starring Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau, aka the ragin’ cajun Gambit. Unfortunately, the Disney-Fox merger killed the Gambit movie quicker than a Sentinel (too soon?), and Tatum never got the opportunity to don the mutant’s iconic coat. Thankfully, the Deadpool team has righted that insidious mistake by finally letting Tatum play the first-ever live-action Gambit, and you know what he’s aces (Great joke).

Dafne Keen

Dafne Keen’s return was inexplicably spoiled a few days before the film’s release, but yeah, she’s back… she was X-23. She’s good. Next.

Super-powered Sling Ring

Are those infinity stones on Cassandra Nova's sling ring from #DeadpoolAndWolverine? https://t.co/KNw5GjNRqP pic.twitter.com/tRJq7QOowj

— Nerdist (@nerdist) July 19, 2024

Cassandra Nova’s not just got mutant powers; she’s also got herself an Infinity Stone-powered sling ring. This amped-up version of Doctor Strange’s jewelry uses the Time Stone and the Reality Stone to open portals across the multiverse.

That’s a Strange blanket

We know Cassandra Nova stole a sling ring from a Doctor Strange variant who was passing through the Void, but what you might not have noticed is that she also stole his cape and was using it as a blanket on her throne. 

Deadpool Corps

We don’t just get Wolverine variants in the film. We get an entire army of Deadpools led by Lady Deadpool. This is the Deadpool Corps, a concept from the comics first introduced in 2010, and it’s basically a team of Deadpools from across the multiverse. In the comics, the team’s made up of Deadpool, Lady Deadpool, Headpool, Kidpool, and Dogpool; however, the version we see in Deadpool and Wolverine has a massively expanded roster, including:

• Lady Deadpool: (more below)
• Kidpool: A rude, younger Deadpool variant who was first introduced in the stop-motion series Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?!
• Headpool: A rotten zombie version of Deadpool played by Nathan Fillion, no less
• Dogpool: (more above)
• Deadpool 2099: A futuristic robot-like Deadpool
• Cowboy Deadpool: Imagine Deadpool if he visited Yellowstone Ranch and was voiced by Matthew McConaughey, and you’ve got Cowboy Deadpool.
• Welsh Deadpool: (More below)
• Golden Age Deadpool: A gas-mask-wearing version of Deadpool, supposedly from the Golden Age of comics. This character was first introduced in Deadpool Kills Deadpool #1.
• Samurai Deadpool: An original version of Deadpool created for the movie who wears a Kasa.
• Zenpool: A version of Deadpool created during the AXIS event that inverted characters’ morality. As a result, Deadpool was turned into a calm pacifist. Don’t worry; the movie version isn’t afraid to get violent.

There are plenty more Pools on on the team, but we don’t really see that much from any of them.

Lady Deadpool

The big question surrounding Deadpool has been around Lady Deadpool and, more specifically, who’s playing her. Spoilers: it’s Blake Lively, or at least she’s the one doing the voice. Anyway, Lady Deadpool was part of the Deadpool Corps and led the team after Earth-616’s Deadpool abandoned them. Unfortunately, she was ultimately killed during the Deadpool Kills Deadpool crossover event during a battle with Galactipool and hasn’t been seen since, although we expect the folks over at Marvel Comics might have something in the works, considering her growing popularity.

Babypool and Kidpool

A baby version of Deadpool, and what makes this character interesting is who’s under the mask. It’s Olin Reynolds! Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s latest child! While their daughter Inez Reynolds plays Kidpool. Nice to see them going into the family business.

Deadpool Cymreig

Welsh Deadpool might seem a bit random if you haven’t been watching Welcome to Wrexham, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Ryan Reynolds has been spending a lot of time in the country and has clearly grown to love it. Welsh Deadpool, then, is probably a little Easter egg for the Racecourse faithful.

Also, the big question is, who’s under the mask? Welsh Deadpool doesn’t have any dialogue, so it’s hard to tell. I originally thought it must be Rob McElhenney, co-owner of Wrexham, who was rumored to have a cameo. But, it turned out to be the Wrexham forward, the mighty Paul Mullin (Cheers Rhys Bowen-Jones, for the correction!).

Schwarma!

Deadpool & Wolverine ends with the titular heroes grabbing a schwarma after the battle. Anyone who’s ever seen a superhero movie knows that the Avenegrs invented schwarma. Or at least that’s what Deadpool thinks. In all seriousness, this was a playful reference to the end of the original Avengers, a movie that saw Earth’s greatest heroes assemble to grab a snack after defeating Loki.

Secret Wars

While there’s no confirmation (yet) that Deadpool and Wolverine will saddle up in the future, Wade’s final question about “doing this again” seems like a clear setup for another reunion in the future. Maybe they’ll be back in time for the Secret Wars that are happening somewhere in the multiverse. It would also explain the issue of Secret Wars we saw floating in the Void.

And that’s everything we spotted? Did you see some we missed? Probably, it’s jam-packed with references and cameos! Anyway, if you enjoyed this piece, why not check out some more of our coverage of Wade’s newest adventure? You could start with our Deadpool and Wolverine ending explained before moving on to our Deadpool 3 cameo guide. We’ve also got a list of all the upcoming Marvel movies you’ll find in Phase 5 and Phase 6.