Deadpool 3 Theory: Could This Forgotten Marvel Team Bring FOX's X-Men To The MCU?

The "Deadpool 3" marketing team is relying on your excitement. And why wouldn't you be excited? The upcoming 2024 film promises to bring together two legendary duos for their Marvel Cinematic Universe debuts -– Deadpool and Wolverine, who spend no small amount of time together in Marvel comics, and their respective actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, who appear thick as thieves in real life. And since everyone presumed Jackman would never don the claws again, the existence of "Deadpool 3" is all that much sweeter.

But while the internet is collectively ogling the Australian heartthrob in his new comic-accurate threads, the most important question has yet to be answered. How is Logan in "Deadpool 3?" On that front, how is Deadpool in "Deadpool 3?" Sure, Wade Wilson has about as much respect for logical continuity and distributing rights as he does for the fourth wall, but that doesn't mean Kevin Feige will let him slide into the MCU with a simple, "Toto, I have a feeling we're not owned by 20th Century Fox anymore."

It hasn't been officially confirmed, but the trail of marketing breadcrumbs left by Reynolds and Jackman seems to indicate that the Time Variance Authority will be involved in the central plot of "Deadpool 3," presumably as an antagonistic force, just as they were in Season 1 of "Loki." The pair of actors also dropped a clue suggesting that Blink, a portal-enabled mutant, could be involved. And if Blink really is involved, then that could mean the Exiles are present, too. And if the MCU introduces the Exiles in "Deadpool 3," then they could serve as a gateway to the X-Men.

The best part of this theory is that despite how many elements seem to be at play, it's pretty straightforward. If the rumor mill is correct in assuming that Deadpool and Wolverine will face off against the Time Variance Authority for timeline-related "crimes" (which would immediately explain Reynolds' tweets and justify the pair's appearance in the MCU all at once), then the potential references to Blink in Reynolds' and Jackman's Instagram posts suddenly make a lot of sense. As we mentioned earlier, Blink is the pin that holds everything else we're about to suggest together. Because Blink isn't just a mutant who can create portals that span vast distances, she's also a member of the Exiles.

The Exiles are a ragtag group of mutants who share only one thing in common. They've all been forcibly removed from their respective universes for being "hiccups" in the timeline. Together, they serve whatever master they are required to, even if they don't morally align with them. If that sounds familiar to you, then you've already seen Season 1 of "Loki." 

In the Disney+ series, the TVA's sole purpose is to dissolve the multiverse and create a singular "sacred timeline" by removing any individual who disrupts the predetermined chronology. Most of the excised individuals are fed to Alioth, a demonic creature capable of consuming both time and space with extreme prejudice, but some are forcibly separated from their memories before being recruited into the TVA itself. In fact, every single member of the TVA was once a person who accidentally made the "wrong chronological decision." It's not exactly a stretch for the MCU's version of the TVA to create a task force of enhanced persons with the singular goal of maintaining the "sacred timeline."

Unlike the X-Men or the Avengers, the Exiles don't feature what might be considered a core group of characters who must always appear for the team to be referred to as such. The roster is ever-changing and that's actually why it would fit so perfectly as a diving-off point for the MCU to introduce more mutants like Blink. It could also be a solid way to justify Deadpool or Wolverine's sudden transition into the MCU as one or either of them could be conscripted into the Exiles by the TVA for disrupting the "sacred timeline."

To guarantee that the pair are both on the same team and at odds with each other, as is their wont, maybe Deadpool prevents Wolverine from suffering his Oscar-worthy fate in "Logan" and that gets the duo dragged out of 20th Century Studios' timeline by a disgruntled TVA. This would align with the current rumor mill and also allow for the most recent pieces of marketing evidence shared by Reynolds and Jackman.

The Exiles are quite literally the perfect catch-all for potential cameos. Apparently, Jennifer Garner is set to appear as Elektra. Granted, she's not technically a mutant but no one could argue that she isn't a super. Assuming that "Deadpool 3" isn't about hopping universes, the Exiles would be the most logical slot for her, too. Now apply that same logic to any character from 20th Century Studios' catalog.

Now apply that logic to the broader spectrum of possibility. Imagine a variant of Gambit played by Channing Tatum showing up for exactly long enough to call to mind just how many times the poor guy tried to make a Gambit solo film happen. It wouldn't be the first time that Reynolds landed a major cameo in the "Deadpool" franchise.

The biggest issue here is one of tone. Yes, it makes perfect sense for Deadpool to be the character gateway through which the X-Men are introduced into the MCU but does it make sense for "Deadpool 3" to be the film to do it in? Because there's absolutely a difference. Assuming that Deadpool's third film mirrors the tone of his first two, then it's not going to take itself too seriously. Conversely, the introduction of the X-Men is going to be a massive turning point for the MCU. Fans have been looking forward to it ever since Marvel regained access to the characters.

That being said, it is not unreasonable to assume that "Deadpool 3" will introduce a few mutants, just none of the heavy hitters. We already know that Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) will be present, but it's unlikely that any version of Jean Grey or Storm will make an appearance. And that's down to time merited because larger characters will warrant their own origin stories. As for the mutants who have appeared in previous "Deadpool" films, they already have one. So does Wolverine, who seems to be some version of the same character from the 20th Century Studios films.

But maybe we're overthinking this. Maybe Kevin Feige will surprise us all and use "Deadpool 3" as a backdoor pilot. The last few phases of the MCU have been making some bold choices, anyway. The important thing to remember with all of this is that if Blink shows up, then we're only one step removed from the Exiles, and they're hardly even a full step removed from a certain school for the gifted, and Marvel's running out of excuses to keep the X-Men out of the spotlight.