‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer Breakdown

The official trailer for the third installment of the Deadpool franchise has just dropped, and Hugh Jackman's beloved Wolverine is not the only familiar face popping up. Let's get into all the exciting details you may have missed in this action-packed teaser.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for X-Men '97.

The Return of Wolverine

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios (top) and Insomniac Games (bottom))

We open with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) approaching Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in a bar, with a shot that seems to be a nod at the upcoming videogame Marvel's Wolverine by Insomniac Games. The bartender tells Logan, "You're not welcome here. You're not welcome anywhere." This remark could either be in reference to his mutant status, or rather be hinting at something this Logan has done in the past.

In this film, it appears Deadpool is facing the destruction of his universe, including all the people he loves and cares about. Wolverine, (in Wolverine fashion) exclaims that's not his "f***** problem". Logan has frequently been jaded and slow to action, but Paradox played by Matthew Macfadyen clues us into what happened to this Wolverine.

Apparently he let down his entire world, likely resulting in the death of all the mutant family he has grown to love.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

Connections to Marvel's Loki

In the trailer, we see not one, but two nods to Marvel's time-jumping series, Loki. In the trailer, we first see Wolverine and Deadpool fighting in the Void. Previously seen in Loki Seasons 1 and 2, the Void is a point at the end of time where things pruned by the TVA (Time Variance Authority) end up.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

Additionally, we see the return of Alioth, the trans-temporal entity that is the Void's guardian.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

Our Antagonist

Emma Corrin is our villain, Cassandra Nova. If you aren't an avid comic reader, this name may be unfamiliar. Cassandra Nova made her mark in New X-Men (2001). She is the twin sister of Charles Xavier, and his spiritual and moral opposite. Xavier recognized her evil and attempted to kill her in the womb, (yes, in the womb) but she survived. As an adult, she would go on to unleash deadly Sentinels on Genosha, slaughtering the mutant population—as similarly seen in episode 5 of X-Men '97.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

Like Xavier, she has telekinetic abilities, which we see as she faces off against Wolverine with embarrassing ease.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

New and Familiar Faces

If you have a keen eye, you likely caught the return of a number of familiar faces. Firstly, we find out that Cassandra Nova has made her home in a decomposed skull of beloved hero, Ant-Man/Scott Lang. This is a confirmation that Cassandra Nova will be as casually cruel as she is in the comics.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

It wouldn't be a Deadpool and Wolverine movie without some mutants. There are a number of returning mutants we see standing before Cassandra Nova's skull base. From left to right in the establishing shot, we are able to make out the return of Callisto, Lady Deathstrike, Azazel, and Toad.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

Previously, we saw the return of Pyro (Aaron Stanford), which goes to show this movie is filled with deep cuts that will please fans of Fox's X-Men films.

Additionally, Punisher villain, the Russian, also makes an appearance in the trailer. While fans may remember Kevin Nash's portrayal of the character in The Punisher (2004), the Russian we see in the trailer is portrayed by someone else. It is quite possible that this is just a variant, and this Russian variant is portrayed by the stunt actor Billy Clements per his resume, who has worked on several Marvel productions as a stunt performer.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

Other Easter Eggs

Dogpool is an animal version of Wade Wilson, first appearing in Prelude to Deadpool Corps #3 (2010). In the comics, Wilson the dog obtains the same powers as Deadpool after acting as a test subject for what was supposed to be a self-replenishing mascara.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

In a quick shot, we see the Red Skull's Coupe from Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), but with the Hydra logo replaced with an Iron Man one. Could we see the return of either the crimson supervillain or Avenger, respectively?

As Wolverine and Deadpool walk out to an upcoming threat, we see a nod towards one of Deadpool's co-creators, Rob Liefeld. Behind them, a storefront reads "Liefeld's Just Feet", a reference towards the running joke that Liefeld can't draw feet.

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

The glorious final shot of the trailer shows Deadpool and Wolverine jumping into a magical portal. Those familiar with the MCU's mystical side will recognize that this means a sorcerer will be appearing. Doctor Strange has already dealt with the multiverse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Could we see him popping up to help out this dynamic duo? Or will another sorcerer be debuting?

(Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios)

Even with all the details we've uncovered from this trailer, there's likely to be even more surprises when Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26.