‘Deadpool 3’ set photo takes shots at the fallen empire that was 20th Century Fox

It looks like Deadpool 3 is staying in touch with its meta roots. New filming photos suggest the film is ready and willing to joke about the 20th Century Fox/Disney merger.

Over on Twitter, a fan account posted some photographs of the Deadpool 3 set, and it reveals a giant 20th Century Fox logo, now crumbled and ruined, Ozymandias’- style.

Of course, the image also calls to mind the infamous scene from 20th Century Fox’s classic Planet of the Apes franchise, in which Lt. Taylor (Charlton Heston) stumbles across the ruins of the Statue of Liberty. That might not bode well for Fox’s little corner of the MCU multiverse, where all previous X-Men films have canonically taken place.

With the film set to be some sort of multiversal road trip, this may constitute a spoiler. Speculation has been rife about how Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool and possibly Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will be incorporated into the MCU. The mention of the destruction of the Fox verse in this meta joke could imply a narrative shift that brings Deadpool and other characters into the MCU. Reynolds himself has already teased a Loki connection, which could also mean that the Time Variance Authority is responsible in some way.

The Disney/20th Century Fox merger is perhaps one of the most significant in Hollywood’s recent history. Once a storied name in the industry in its own right, 20th Century Fox — renamed 20th Century Studios under Disney is now a subsidiary of the House of Mouse. This newest behind-the-scenes photo pays homage to the studio in what will likely be the last film connected to Fox’s old X-Men universe.