Deadpool & Wolverine Director Reveals the Truth About the Movie’s Cameo ‘Wishlist’

Deadpool & Wolverine has sparked the imagination of many Marvel fans with promises of surprising cameo appearances by characters from across the MCU, but it seems that Shawn Levy’s cameo “wishlist” is not quite what people might expect. Since the first teasing images of the upcoming movie arrived online, fans have speculated on which characters – from which universe – may appear alongside Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s titular heroes. For director Levy, though, it was never about compiling a list of characters to shoehorn into the story, but the exact opposite.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Levy discussed how the reunion of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in the MCU is shaping up to be more than just a bunch of cameos for cameos-sake, and that anyone who appears in the movie came about through a natural progression rather than being taken from a fabled wishlist. He said:

“I’ll say we didn’t start off with a wishlist. From the day we started devising this Deadpool and Wolverine story, we let the story dictate the characters, not the other way around. Aaron and his return as Pyro was an outgrowth of that, and that applies to pretty much all the characters you’ll see in the movie.”

Fans have already been given a glimpse of some of the returning characters through leaked set images, but there are rumors of many, many more. While all of those said to be dropping in on the movie will not happen, is seems that after many complaints about Marvel’s multiverse movies not delivering the level of crossover cameos that fans demand, Deadpool is stepping up to put those gripes to bed once and for all.

Deadpool & Wolverine is Deeply Connected to the MCU, but Requires ‘No Homework’

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe having expanded into dozens of movies and TV shows, it is not surprising that any new offering comes with the belief that fans need to be well-versed in what has gone before in order to enjoy the story. While Deadpool & Wolverine is expected to deliver some big pay-offs for those who have been keeping track of Marvel’s entire output from all the way back in 2000s X-Men, Levy assures everyone else that the film is not inaccessible for those who have not been completely immersed in the world of Marvel superheroes. He previously said:

“I was a good student in school. I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies. I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.”

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Deadpool & Wolverine is set to be one of the biggest movies of the summer, and indeed, of 2024. With a promise of everything Reynolds’ previous Deadpool outings delivered, a nostalgic trip back to the Fox X-Men universe, and more Kevin Feige jokes than anyone can handle, the film’s success is virtually guaranteed. Fans can expect another teasing trailer to arrive sometime in the next month ahead of the movie’s release on July 26.