Deadpool & Wolverine makes its biggest reference to the Avengers yet

We’re mere days away from seeing Deadpool & Wolverine, so surely Easter eggs are late in the game? For Ryan Reynolds, Avengers links are better late than never.

Releasing on July 25th, Deadpool & Wolverine has thrown everything and the kitchen sink into its production. Not only are rumors about Lady Deadpool flying, but we’ve also got an R age rating, a banging soundtrack, and a list of potential cameos longer than our arm.

However, Ryan Reynolds clearly isn’t done yet. On July 18, he shared two pictures of sling rings on his Instagram stories… and they’ve already been seen in other Marvel movies.

They’re a trademark for Doctor Strange and last seen in the Multiverse of Madness, leading some fans to think the upcoming film is a definite nod to past Avengers stories… and possibly future ones.

“He has Gems enabled. Deadpool’s going to make Marvel vs. Capcom 4 happen by himself after referencing it last issue,” one fan posted on Reddit.

Instagram/@vancityreynolds

A second weighed in, “Deadpool is 100% doing the Tony Stark infinity gauntlet snap from Avengers Endgame.”

“I’m so curious how they’ll play this. Like will it be super emotional? Comedic?” a third mused. “And then my question is, okay so then what, doesn’t that just create a branched timeline? Like that shouldn’t have any effect on 616…”

For the uninitiated, a sling ring is a small two-finger mystical ring that can create Inter-Dimensional Portals to another location – or even a different dimension.

At the end of the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer, fans see the pair jump into one… we just don’t yet know what it’s linked to.

Since Avengers: Endgame aired in 2019, many fans were left confused by why Doctor Strange didn’t use the sling rings on Thanos (short answer: his skin was impenetrable, even with the support).

However, this led to the emotional Tony Stark snap scene we see towards the end of the movie, with Strange – and the ring – looking on.

At the moment, this leaves Marvel with more questions than answers. While it’s likely that Deadpool & Wolverine will address how the sling rings ended up on Deadpool’s hand, we might not learn what it means for the bigger picture.

Alongside plans for Avengers 5 and Secret Wars currently in play, the Deadpool comics have now outright mentioned Marvel vs. Capcom 4… but is the timing a coincidence?

“Avengers 7: Marvel vs Capcom. F**k it make MvC a big animated film trilogy,” one fan joked.

For more Marvel news, check out updates for Captain American 4, Spider-Man 4, and Venom 3. You can also find new movies streaming this month.