A striking new piece of Deadpool 3 fan art envisions Austin Butler as Gambit alongside Wade Wilson and Wolverine. Butler recently broke out with his lead role in Elvis and continues to rise with a major part in the upcoming Dune sequel. With Hugh Jackman already confirmed to be reprising his infamous role as Wolverine in the Ryan Reynolds-led threequel, which will be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, speculation is running rampant over what Deadpool 3 could be about.
New Deadpool 3 fan art by Reddit user subi-ozil has pictured Wolverine in a stylish comic-style costume, a treat that was never delivered during Jackman’s run. The fan art incorporates an amusing callback to the Fox timeline as Wolverine’s claws pierce Deadpool’s decapitated head. Also featured is Gambit, who hasn’t been confirmed or even rumored to appear in Deadpool 3, but also starred in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, portrayed by Taylor Kitsch, alongside Jackman and Reynolds. He could theoretically play a part in the threequel. Check it out below:
What Do We Know About Deadpool 3?
Not much is currently known about the plot of Deadpool 3, though recent comments from Jackman about Wolverine’s role have debunked theories that it will be a different version of the character, or that he is returning from the dead. The latter element is likely so that Deadpool 3 will not diminish the tragic events of 2017’s acclaimed Logan, the culmination of Wolverine’s arc in the Fox universe. With the MCU’s Multiverse Saga well underway, many fans had speculated that Deadpool 3‘s Wolverine would be from another universe. Alternate iterations of characters have already been shown on-screen, with Phase 4’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featuring an implied X-Men: The Animated Series version of fellow mutant Professor X.
Jackman has also confirmed that Deadpool 3 will feature time travel, which is presumably how the plot will navigate incorporating the Fox universe’s Wolverine without resurrecting him, which would dampen the excellent conclusion that Logan gave the character. It is not known at this point whether Wolverine has a future in the MCU beyond the threequel, though fans are hopeful to see him return for the culmination of the Multiverse Saga in Avengers: Secret Wars, alongside an assortment of other Marvel legacy characters, though that is a long time from now. Whatever happens with Wolverine, Deadpool is confirmed to be joining the MCU pantheon with the events of his upcoming film.
Will Gambit Appear In The MCU?
Gambit was supposed to have an origin story featuring Channing Tatum as part of the Fox universe, but the proposed film was never able to move past development stages. Though Tatum was poised to star, a director couldn’t be found, and the project eventually fell through. The fan art depicts Butler in the role, and his recent star power would be able to boost an already stellar leading duo of Jackman and Reynolds. Given that there have been previous plans for the character, introducing Gambit in Deadpool 3 would be an excellent way to introduce the X-Men to the MCU, and given that mutants are now starting to arise, it is only a matter of time before the most infamous mutants find their way into Earth-616.
Source: subi-ozil/Reddit