Deadpool referenced for first time in Marvel Cinematic Universe

Deadpool just got his first namecheck, meaning the Merc with the Mouth has officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson, has had a tumultuous journey to the screen. First, there was the sacrilegious variation of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Followed by the leaked test footage that seemed too good to be true.

Then, in 2016, Ryan Reynolds fully returned (it may as well be seen as a debut) as Deadpool in one of the most successful R-rated movies of all time, turning the katana-wielding antihero into a household name.

It’s been four years since Deadpool 2, and we’re still ways away from the character’s highly-anticipated threequel. However, an exciting step has been taken: he’s been referenced in the MCU for the first time.

Deadpool officially referenced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Deadpool 3 is well underway at Marvel Studios. For the time being though, the hero just got his first namecheck in the franchise courtesy of the Avengers Assemble: Flight Force ride at Avengers Campus Paris.

In a video shared on YouTube by Insider’s Kirsten Acuna, the attraction shows Iron Man and F.R.I.D.A.Y. trying to assemble a group of heroes from the MCU’s roster, which includes the likes of Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, to James Rhodes, aka War Machine.

However, one name appears that we’ve never seen in the MCU thus far: Wade Wilson. According to Acuna, his “name appears during a nine-minute video that plays on loop in one of the queue rooms for the attraction.”

Is Deadpool now canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

The rides across the Marvel campuses aren’t strictly canon, considered more to be inspired by the events of the movies while featuring Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, and more.

In an interview with The Direct, Worlds of Marvel’s creative director Danny Handke explained that the stories on the rides co-exist with the MCU’s overall canon.

“We are kind of in our own theme park universe, and the Multiverse concept’s great because we’re a Variant of the main MCU timeline, so it helps everyone understand that,” he said.

“Canon is the official canon we see on screen and our park universe mirrors that, but our stories go in different directions, mainly because we as the audience are protagonists.”

So, it’s a bit of a “yes, but no” situation. However, considering Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick’s faith in Marvel and Disney, this should be seen as a step in the right direction.

There’s no official release date for Deadpool 3 at the time of writing.