‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Looks To Be the Multiversal Madness That Doctor Strange 2 Didn’t Deliver On

The first teaser trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine is out in the world, allaying all fears of a Disneyfied and sanitized version of the Merc with a Mouth now that he’s officially a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While the footage didn’t give away too much of the plot – or even a sneak peek of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine’s snazzy yellow threads – it confirms a longstanding rumor that the Time Variance Authority (TVA) would feature in this story. Taking this important detail into account, it looks like another multiversal adventure awaits the audience. However, this might be the timeline-hopping Marvel movie that actually delivers on its initial promise.

The curious case of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Nothingness’

Before the release of 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fan expectations were through the roof about all the possibilities of the newly unlocked and minted multiverse. After all, 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home teamed up all three live-action Spider-Men to face off against their greatest foes, so surely this movie would go all out to top that, right? Not so much. While the return of Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier and the addition of John Krasinski’s Reed Richards resulted in the biggest pops from the audience, they were nothing more than glorified cameos in the grand scheme of the plot. Instead, the film turned out to be the standard MCU fodder of having to save the world before it’s too late, big CGI finale, yada, yada…

However, the most disappointing aspect of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is how it positioned itself to change the course of the MCU, but it impacted nothing in the short term. (Seriously, has Charlize Theron’s Clea, who makes a mid-credits appearance in the film, even been mentioned ever since then?) Take away the allure of the cameos and what’s left behind is just another overstuffed sequel in the deluge of superhero cinema. A multiverse of nothing burgers.

‘Deadpool 2’ showed Wade Wilson running rampant

The end scene of Deadpool 2 sees the Merc with a Mouth utilizing Cable’s time-traveling device to go back in time and change events, including saving Vanessa and killing the alternate version of himself from X-Men Origins: Wolverine. As a pop-culture connoisseur, there’s no way Wade Wilson is unaware of Back to the Future and the ramifications of what he’s done by messing with time travel. He knows that by changing the past and altering the timelines, he’s affected the present and future. The point is he probably doesn’t care about the consequences of his actions. This is Deadpool, who believes that with great power comes great irresponsibility.

Don’t bet against the revelation that it’s Wade Wilson who has been wreaking havoc and zipping in and out of the timelines since 2018, quietly ripping apart the fabrics of the multiverse and destroying everything. Somehow, someway, he might be the real culprit of the multiverse madness in the MCU, hence the TVA seeking him out in the new movie.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ may destroy a universe

In the teaser trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine, the TVA tells Deadpool he has the opportunity to be a hero – something that excites him to the point he dubs himself the “Marvel Jesus.” Now, whether the TVA says this to convince him to help fix the timeline issues or sincerely means it, only time will tell. What’s clear, though, is that Wade Wilson is a troublemaker and menace who has been unleashed across the multiverse in all his unrestrained glory – and may the Celestials have mercy on the MCU because nothing will ever be the same again.

With all the leaks and rumored names of previous characters returning in Deadpool & Wolverine, the Merc with a Mouth and his BFF, Logan, are on a madcap journey that will see them encounter several heroes and villains from Fox’s Marvel Universe. Aaron Stanford’s Pyro is one notable character that makes an appearance in the trailer. Undoubtedly, this provides a perfect out for the MCU as it attempts to clear up any misconceptions about who and what remains canon, as well as to pave the path for the introduction of its versions of the X-Men and Fantastic Four. This film could provide the necessary transition from the old to the new, waving goodbye to the past and ushering in a new era.

Considering how zany and unpredictable Deadpool is as a character, nobody would be all too surprised if this turns into a loose adaptation of Cullen Bunn and Dalibor Talajić’s comic book series Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe when all is said and done. However, in this instance, it might be Fox’s Marvel Universe that pays the price as the trigger-happy Wade runs amok. Ironically, Deadpool might also end up being the person who helps to make sense of the convoluted nonsense and crossed streams the multiverse has created.