Spoilers ahead for Deadpool & Wolverine!
Summary
Deadpool & Wolverineproves that fans should be careful what they wish for. The thirdDeadpoolfilm has been a much-needed smash hit for MCU’s Phase 5 with its R-rated and irreverent look at Marvel’s cinematic universe. Being Deadpool, things get meta quickly, including call-backs, in-jokes, and, of course, the Merc with the Mouth’s specialty: gratuitous cameos.
Those cameos generally fall into two camps. The Void, introduced inLoki’s first season, is the perfect place to pluck characters from Marvel’s cinematic history, including Electra, Blade, and a Johnny Storm few thought they’d see again. There’s even room for Channing Tatum’s Gambit, which was famously announced in 2014 but never made it to the screen. Then, there are guest appearances that can never live up to the hype, no matter how funny they are.
Searching for Wolverine
InDeadpool and Wolverine’sfirst act, the Merc with the Mouth launches abreakneck search through the multiverseto find the right Wolverine to help him save his universe. It’s great fan service, serving up iconic Wolverines from the comics, including Patch Wolverine, Old Man Logan, and a comic-accurate diminutive Logan (5’ 3”).
It’s brilliant and chaotic fun, but there’s a special tease reserved for one cameo. Arriving in a new universe, Deadpool approaches a promising variant from the back, puffing on a cigar in a familiar white vest as he works on his motorbike.It looks like it could be Hugh Jackman’s distinctive Wolverine until he turns around, andDeadpoolis as surprised as audiences to see it’s Henry Cavill under the facial hair.
Yes, fans finally got to see the former Superman as Wolverine, or as Deadpool dubs him, “Cavillrine.” The Merc is happy to see the new variant and takes the chance to dig at old Marvel rivals DC, telling him he’ll be treated better than he was by his previous employer. But it’s not enough for Cavill’s Logan, who instantly attacks Deadpool, proving that, if nothing else, he’s a good judge of character. It’s an amusing scene, but it also proves definitively that no matter how long the rumors of Cavill joining the MCU have been around, the Cavillrine is best kept as a short cameo.
A History of Henry Cavill as Wolverine
After Hugh Jackman’s apparent retirement from the role of Wolverine with 2017’sLogan, fans naturally turned their attention to a replacement. The chatter increased following Disney’s acquisition of Fox and again when Cavil’s tenure as the DCEU’s Superman came to an abrupt and undignified halt.
As Cavill’sfascinating journey through fantasy and genre rolescontinued, hanging up Big Blue’s cape and Geralt’s swords after Season 3 ofThe Witcher, fans’ imaginations ran wild, imagining him jumping from DC to Marvel. It’s not surprising that his name topped many wishlists.Cavill has great action credentials, thanks toMan of Steel,Justice League,Immortals, andMission Impossible: Fallout.He’s also shown his acting chops in dramas likeThe Tudors, so why wouldn’t he be a great fit for the mutton chops of Wolverine?
The rumor mill really started spinning in early 2022 when it was reported that Cavill was lined up to play Wolverine in the sequel toCaptain Marvel. That speculation, which started on YouTube, attracted a lot of attention, including Forbesremarking how sketchy the sourcewas (which, of course, helped promote it). If there was anything behind that rumor relating to the film that emerged asThe Marvels, it’s likely to be linked to the cameo of Kelsey Grammer’s Beast in the post-credits scene.
Even that couldn’t get rid of the rumors. A couple of years later, they picked up again ahead of Deadpool’s entrance into the MCU. Despite the high-profile addition of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine,Deadpool & Wolverinewas always guaranteed to play fast and loose with the Marvel universe. When the movie was released in July 2024, fans got what they wanted, with some hailing it as Cavill’s last hurrah over DCU. Others took it as the inevitable result of so much speculation. It’s no wonder Deadpool couldn’t resist having fun with that level of fan debate.
Mission Cavillrine
Cavill’s blink-and-you-’ll-miss-him, however, works best as a joke at the expense of all those rumors.After all the hype, it proved that Cavill was never a serious contender for the part.There wasn’t even an attempt to create or adapt a new Wolverine look for the star — the reveal depended on him looking like Jackman.
Jackman had to overcome considerable criticism when he was cast, even when social media wasn’t anything like it is today. Much of it was based on his physique. At 6' 2”, the Australian actor was almost a foot taller than Wolverine’s canonical height, and Marvel purists weren’t happy about it. Jackman persevered, and his dedication to the role soon won over most fans.
Years later, Jackman is synonymous with the feral antihero, so the joke of another superhero actor playing Wolverine had to be pinned on him. At just over 6 feet, Cavill’s only a little shorter than Jackman. It was the precedent set by the tall and dark Australian that kept Cavill’s name in the rumors, putting him alongside actors who are more in line with the character’s comic book height, like Daniel Radcliffe.
However, after 24 years of Jackman wielding the claws, Cavill looks like a weird distortion of the real thing. Despite the various character elements at play, his lunge at Deadpool didn’t feel quite right.It doesn’t help that Jackman adopts the classic Wolvie stance more than ever duringDeadpool & Wolverine, but the real reason is a sly nod to what might be Cavill’s most famous move. The Cavillrine double-loads his fists just like the actor did inMission Impossible: Fallout, only this time he’s dispensing adamantium claws. There’s no doubt this scene is a joke, and not a sign of things to come.
Still, the rumors can rest as the Cavillrine has been immortalized on a parallel Earth that the MCU is never likely to return to. Perhaps it’s one where Gal Gadot is Jean Grey, and Ben Affleck is Cyclops. If there’s a lesson to be learned from that Earth, it may be that fans should think beyond the sideburns and outside the box. For the good of the character, the MCU’s real Wolverine needs to break ties with the man who made the role his own for over two incredible decades.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Cast
Deadpool & Wolverine marks Ryan Reynolds’s take on the Merc with a Mouth’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Together, the two embark on a universe-hopping, R-rated adventure that’s sure to change the MCU forever.
