In terms of the sheer volume of speculation surrounding the project despite the fact that it technically doesn’t officially exist yet, the only movie in recent history that can be compared to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Deadpool 3 is the Snyder Cut of Justice League. Similar to how the mythical alternate version of the DCEU’s maligned blockbuster dominated the conversation despite there being no evidence that it would ever become a reality, the Merc with a Mouth’s third solo outing has been subjected to the same sort of treatment.
We know that Ryan Reynolds held a meeting with Marvel Studios last December, but that’s about it. However, that hasn’t stopped rumors from cropping up on a regular basis that claim to offer specifics about Deadpool’s impending MCU debut, reminiscent of how the Snyder Cut spent two and a half years in the headlines before we got any concrete news.
This week, a massive info dump has been leaked and while it does come from 4Chan and should therefore not be taken as gospel, the site has been right on the money regarding several major developments in the MCU before. Among other things, the leak touts the title of the Merc’s third solo outing as Deadpool: Retcon, and says Thanos’ Snap plays a pivotal role in setting the stage for Wade Wilson’s grand introduction into Kevin Feige’s shared mythology.
Apparently, in a meta moment that would admittedly make complete sense within both the context of the MCU and Deadpool 3 itself, the Snap will cause the supporting players from the Fox duology to be dusted, clearing the table for a new roster of characters to star alongside the title hero.
“The film will open with the entire established supporting cast of the Deadpool franchise getting snapped away,” reads the leak. “With Weasel getting snapped off screen to avoid using TJ Miller, which will be referenced in a 4th wall break. Deadpool will assume this happened due to him time traveling at the end of Deadpool 2 and attempt to fix it.”
Not only does this lean into one of the Infinity Saga’s pivotal moments, but it also provides a quick and easy explanation as to why nobody else from the Fox movies has returned. Of course, we can’t imagine that everyone will be gone, as Cable and Domino are widely expected to be back for future films, but supporting players like the aforementioned Weasel and Negasonic Teenage Warhead probably won’t be seen again. At least, not for a while.