Marvel stunned MCU fans with two big Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness revelations during the Super Bowl. Doctor Strange 2 trailer 2 confirms two big cameos that appeared in previous rumors and leaks, and one of them sparked quite a debate about Iron Man. Fans also think they saw Deadpool on the new Doctor Strange 2 poster that dropped with the new trailer. That’s on top of spotting Captain Carter’s shield in the same image.
While the Captain Carter shield seems to offer indisputable evidence that Hayley Atwell will cameo in Multiverse of Madness, the Deadpool sighting isn’t as obvious on the poster. However, there’s something even better when it comes to the Merc with a Mouth.
A purported image from the film might give us a blurry first look at the character. And it leaked just as Ryan Reynold issued his first denial that Deadpool will appear in the Doctor Strange sequel. Before we move forward, you should know that a few big spoilers will follow below.
Why Deadpool makes sense for Doctor Strange 2
Of all the Fox characters that Marvel wants to bring to the MCU, we’re sure that Deadpool will not be recast. That’s because Disney confirmed soon after its Fox acquisition that Deadpool will move to the MCU unchanged. Maybe he will swap his R rating for a PG13 rating, but we’re still getting Ryan Reynolds in the MCU.
Also, the best way to transition Deadpool from the incredibly complicated Fox universe to the MCU is the multiverse. And Doctor Strange 2 is going to be the multiverse event of the MCU. It’s the kind of massive movie that can link up all the superhero movies featuring Marvel characters, even outside of the MCU. Sony did the same thing with its SSU a few weeks ago, with the help of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Add to that all the Doctor Strange 2 cameo rumors, and Deadpool seems like a natural addition. Deadpool should have been at the top of any shortlist of cameos for the movie, given everything we mentioned above. Wade Wilson doesn’t even have to play a huge role in the movie. But having Deadpool in Doctor Strange 2, no matter how briefly, is enough to set up the future cameos and the standalone Deadpool 3 movie.
The Multiverse of Madness VFX images
We saw last September two purported images that showed Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in a wheelchair similar to the one in the comics. Professor X was battling Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) in the second image, with Wanda wearing a bloodied white shirt.
Separately, a different pre-VFX image showed Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in cuffs, escorted by Ultron drones in the presence of Professor X and Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
None of that has anything to do with Deadpool, for now. But this is relevant Doctor Strange 2 context you need to be aware of before looking at the Deadpool leak.
The Doctor Strange 2 trailer 2 confirmed these leaked images are genuine. We saw the finished shot of Strange in cuffs flanked by drones. We heard Patrick Stewart’s voice and saw Wanda arrive at the Illuminati compound.
Wanda is there for America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who is a prisoner, just like Strange. The Illuminati are holding Chavez in a glass cube in what appears to be some sort of advanced installation for capturing a particular type of “criminal.” Present at that location, as seen in the TV clip that aired during the Super Bowl, is a version of Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams).
We know that Wanda is attacking the Illuminati from a recent plot leak, and the events in trailer 2 indicate that leak is accurate. That’s why Wanda is fighting Captain Marvel in the trailer, with the latter being the Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) version of it.
The Deadpool leak
That’s all the information you need before you see the following purported Doctor Strange 2 image. The leaked photo shows what appears to be Deadpool inside one of those transparent cubes.
As usual, with this sort of leak, there’s no guarantee the image is real. Someone could have manufactured it using the information in trailer 2 to generate this sort of buzz. But it certainly matches the details the Illuminati compound from the trailer, as seen below.
Watch Ryan Reynolds deny appearing in Doctor Strange 2
Separately, Ryan Reynolds talked to Variety about his upcoming projects. He said that Deadpool isn’t in Doctor Strange 2 when the topic came up.
“I guess I’m really not supposed to say anything about that, but I’m really not in the movie,” the actor said, as you’ll see in the following clip. “I’m promising, I’m not in the movie,” he added.
In case you’re wondering when was the last time you had a hard time believing this sort of denial delivery, we have the answer for you. It was just last year when Andrew Garfield and Charlie Cox have had to repeatedly deny their No Way Home roles in interviews.
Maybe Deadpool isn’t in Doctor Strange 2, just like Reynolds says. But perhaps he is. We might find out the truth before the film’s May 6th release. If this leak is accurate, then others are bound to show up.
