Deadpool 3’s Darkest R-Rated Theory Just Got Way More Likely
New Deadpool 3 set photos reinforce an R-rated fan theory about the MCU movie’s multiversal plot. Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is coming to the MCU in Phase 5’s Deadpool 3, and he’s bringing other characters from Fox’s X-Men universe with him. Deadpool and Wolverine’s reunion is all but confirmed, but Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine won’t be the only multiversal character Deadpool will meet in his MCU debut. Marvel Studios has access to Fox’s whole library of Marvel characters, so heroes and villains from previous Fox-Marvel productions can also be part of Deadpool 3’s large cast.
How exactly Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, and other characters from Fox’s Marvel movies travel through the multiverse is unknown, but Deadpool 3 set photos suggest that Fox’s Marvel universes are collapsing. The destroyed 20th Century Fox logo in the background of Deadpool and Wolverine’s battle teases a multiversal incursion, and newer Deadpool 3 set photos confirm the appearance of more mutants, with at least one of them suffering a grim fate. Given how dire Deadpool 3 seems for Fox’s Marvel characters, a popular Deadpool 3 fan theory seems to be more likely than ever.
Deadpool 3’s New Set Photos Set Up A Fox Universe War
Wolverine and Sabretooth in Deadpool 3 and the X-Men Movies
Shortly after resuming production following the end of the 2023 actors’ strike, Deadpool 3 set photos confirm Sabretooth’s return. This version of Sabretooth looks almost exactly like the one played by Tyler Mane in 2002’s X-Men. Surprisingly, Sabretooth isn’t only shown fighting Wolverine, but also appears unequivocally dead as Deadpool holds up the villain’s decapitated head. With multiple characters from Fox’s Marvel movies appearing in Deadpool 3, the likelihood of a multiversal massacre increases. In the end, Deadpool and Wolverine could become the only survivors of this clash between universes.
Sabretooth’s quick and violent death supports the fan theory that Deadpool 3 is adapting Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe, as more characters from Fox’s X-Men, Daredevil, Elektra, and Fantastic Four movies may appear in Deadpool 3, only to suffer a brutal death. In Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe, Deadpool is manipulated by the villain Psycho-Man, who breaks Deadpool’s already flimsy moral code and causes him to slaughter every hero, anti-hero, and villain he can find. As is usual with the MCU’s comic book adaptations, a live-action translation of Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe likely wouldn’t involve every MCU character, but its main premise could be similar to the source material.
Instead of setting out to kill every Marvel character, Deadpool could find himself forced to escape his home universe as it breaks apart during a multiversal incursion in Deadpool 3. With all mutants, heroes, and villains trying to survive the catastrophe, Deadpool could join forces with Wolverine to defend each other’s back in the MCU. But since they’re used to employing lethal force, Deadpool and Wolverine’s self-defense methods may resemble a gory slaughter similar to the one in Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe. And since Fox’s universes seem to be the ones breaking apart, X-Men characters like Sabretooth may have the odds stacked against them.
The MCU has slowly increased its explicit violence throughout the years with scenes like the Illuminati’s deaths in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Falsworth’s torture of a Skrull spy in Secret Invasion. Even Avengers: Endgame featured Thor decapitating Thanos in front of Nebula. However, Sabretooth’s death at the hands of Deadpool seems to barely scratch the surface of Deadpool 3’s R-rated violence. Deadpool parades Sabretooth’s head like it was no big deal in set photos, so it’s safe to say that Deadpool 3 has much more explicit content in store.
