Credit: Marvel StudiosIn one of the more, perhaps, unexpected crossovers out there, leaked photos from the set of director Shawn Levy’s upcoming Deadpool 3 (2024) revealed a surprising connection to a hit MCU Disney+ show, potentially teasing some sort of Multiversal team-up down the line.
Related: Disney Seals Fate of MCU, President Confirms
As the Walt Disney Company and one of its most lucrative subsidiaries, Marvel Studios, continue to navigate turbulent waters in the aftermath of the pandemic on top of the now-resolved Hollywood strikes, the superhero brand has been forced to reshuffle their entire release slate, shrouding the future of the MCU in uncertainty.
It’s no secret that Marvel has suffered a string of box office flops in recent months, with the Brie Larson-fronted Captain Marvel (2019) sequel, The Marvels (2023), officially breaking the record for lowest-grossing MCU movie of all time. On streaming, its Disney+ TV entries haven’t fared overly well either, with Ms. Marvel and the ill-fated Secret Invasion miniseries flopping hard with fans and critics alike.
Related: Marvel Star Comes Forward, Exposes How Studio Inadvertently Puts All Actors in Danger
More so, an explosive report about the behind-the-scenes chaos at Marvel Studios published by Variety made headlines last month, detailing costly reshoots, The Marvels director Nia DaCosta allegedly exiting the project before post-production, Kevin Feige’s scramble to find a replacement for Jonathan Majors’ Kang in the case that the actor’s trial goes south, and the company’s continued box office woes ever since its critically acclaimed Infinity Saga concluded in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame.
Although it’s impossible to say the extent to which these rumors are true, even Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that substantial changes must be made at Marvel HQ. According to him, The Marvels suffered from a lack of on-set supervision, which could’ve contributed to its less-than-impressive box office performance. Iger also admitted that Marvel has, in recent years, put quantity over quality and that films should aim to “entertain first” instead of focusing on “messaging.”
Understandably, the controversial Disney exec ruffled feathers with his recent remarks, but most would agree there’s a grain of truth to what he’s saying. Sequels, prequels, reboots, and spinoffs have all but taken over the market, leaving audiences hungry for thought-provoking, original content. Because of this, Iger revealed that Marvel will decrease their output due to “diluted” quality, giving the franchise some much-needed time to breathe ahead of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026).
So, does this mean we can look forward to any new Marvel movies or TV shows in the coming years? Well, of course — this is Disney, after all, and Marvel happens to be one of the most lucrative film franchises of all time. However, fans should expect to see far less content in 2024 than 2022 and 2023, specifically, with only one MCU movie currently on the schedule for next year: Deadpool 3.
Ryan Reynolds, who’s set to reprise his role as the titular Merc with a Mouth for the upcoming threequel, has been booked and busy filming the new Deadpool installment, with production resuming now that SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. While plot details remain scarce, Deadpool 3 will see Wade Wilson teaming up with Reynolds’ real-life pal and X-Men veteran Hugh Jackman for what looks to be a goofy, R-rated romp across different timelines.
Rumors that characters from Loki and the TVA, including Owen Wilson’s Mobius M. Mobius and potentially the newly-crowned God of Stories (Tom Hiddleston) himself, will pop up when the titular anti-hero finds himself on the MCU timelines have run rampant online, meaning Deadpool 3 could have some major ramifications for the Multiverse Saga moving forward. And based on some leaked set photos that made their way to social media over the weekend, we could be in for some pretty epic cameos.
After getting a look at Deadpool and Wolverine’s gruesome battle against Victor Creed/Sabertooth earlier this week, new photos (via @CanWeGetToast on X) reveal what appears to be a modified version of the cupcake truck from the Disney+ Moon Knight series amid other vehicles that our mismatched duo will seemingly come across during their time-hopping adventure.
New set photos from ‘DEADPOOL 3’ reveal some vehicles that will be featured in the film.
One vehicle seems the cupcake van from Moon Knight, but modified.
Another vehicle seems to be the Red Skull’s car from Captain America: The First Avenger.
New set photos from ‘DEADPOOL 3’ reveal some vehicles that will be featured in the film.
One vehicle seems the cupcake van from Moon Knight, but modified.
Another vehicle seems to be the Red Skull’s car from Captain America: The First Avenger. pic.twitter.com/45gRIA6C3R
— CanWeGetSomeToast (@CanWeGetToast) December 4, 2023
Those who watched Moon Knight when it arrived on Disney+ in March 2022 likely recall the car chase scene from Episode 1, in which Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) finds himself driving a cupcake van as a getaway vehicle while running from Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) and his cult of death-worshippers.
As seen in these images, it looks like the cupcake truck got a bit of an upgrade between Moon Knight and its appearance in Deadpool 3, implying that it could be from a branched timeline. Or, more likely, ended up in a liminal space between overlapping realities, collecting remnants from all corners of the MCU.
While it’s hard to say what importance Steven Grant’s cupcake getaway van has to the greater plot of Deadpool 3, it could suggest that a Moon Knight cameo is imminent. It sounds like quite a few cameos have been lined up for the movie, including several other X-Men characters like Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey, and possibly even Channing Tatum and Taylor Kitsch as different Variants of Gambit. However, nothing remains confirmed.
Still, fans shouldn’t get too excited about an Oscar Isaac cameo just yet. Since Moon Knight wrapped up its six-episode run on Disney+ last year, virtually zero updates have been given on whether or not we’ll see the human host of Khonshu return to the MCU anytime soon. Despite the show being a hit with fans, in addition to Isaac voicing his enthusiasm to reprise the role, there’s been no word on whether or not Marvel has plans to greenlight a second season.
Given that most Marvel projects have some sort of connective tissue to Disney+ TV series, it wouldn’t be surprising if Levy thought to throw in the cupcake van from Moon Knight purely as a gag, with its narrative purpose being nothing more than a funny nod to Steven Grant/Marc Spector’s corner of the MCU. However, considering the outlandish nature of the Deadpool franchise and the — quite literally — limitless nature of the Multiverse, nothing is off the table.
By the looks of it, Wade Wilson’s MCU debut could be far more integral to Phase Five and beyond than we first realized. While a Moon Knight cameo likely isn’t in the cards for this one, fans can look forward to hopefully seeing many more familiar faces when Deadpool 3 arrives in theaters on July 26, 2024.
Which heroes do you think will make an appearance in Deadpool 3? Let us know in the comments below!