Deadpool & Wolverine's Best Easter Egg Was Found - But Not What Marvel Fans Expected

As befits a superhero movie that pretty much runs on references and Easter eggs, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is full of small details. While some of them are incredibly easy to spot, the movie's barrage of new and returning characters, creatures, and locations means that it's easy to miss some of the stealthier secrets hidden in the movie. Eagle-eyed X (formerly known as Twitter) user @WolverSteve has now uncovered what just might be the greatest and most deviously concealed detail in "Deadpool & Wolverine" — and it's a reference to Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman's role in the 2012 period musical "Les Misérables," of all things. 

Anyone else spot 24601 on the roof of Logan's mouth on the skull? 💀 🤯 Crazy attention to detail! Prisoner 24601, aka Jean Valjean, in Les Misérables is played by Hugh Jackman in the 2012 movie and of course Deadpool's doodled map in 'Deadpool2' in 2018 featured our hero 24601... pic.twitter.com/216m7i79Gj

— WolverSteve 💛💙 (@WolverSteve) September 8, 2024

As the fan points out, the skull of the Wolverine variant from 2017's "Logan" hides the number 24601, which is the prisoner designation of Jackman's "Les Misérables" character Jean Valjean. The number can only be seen in a blink-and-you-miss it moment during the elaborate opening credits sequence of "Deadpool & Wolverine," when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) fights Time Variance Authority agents and kicks the skull at the screen. 

This clever Easter egg was promptly confirmed by "Deadpool & Wolverine" director Shawn Levy. "We've been wondering, who would notice that first!" Levy quote tweeted @WolverSteve's discovery, complete with a saluting emoji. 

Though it took until the 2024 movie to fully realize their potential as a duo, the live-action versions of Deadpool and Wolverine have a long history — as do their actors. Hugh Jackman and Reynolds have feuded jokingly since their iconic superhero characters first clashed in the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" scenes Ryan Reynolds regrets filming. As such, it may not be all that shocking to find out that the "Deadpool & Wolverine" opening sequence isn't the first "Les Misérables"-themed curveball Reynolds has thrown at his colleague.

In "Deadpool 2," Deadpool illustrates a plan with an adorable, hand-drawn map that features a locked-up character with Wolverine's iconic haircut and claws. However, instead of naming him outright, Deadpool gives this character Jean Valjean's Prisoner 24601 designation. The whole map is full of meta commentary, and Deadpool is famous for his ability to break the fourth wall, so the reference is as apt as it is clever ... and as "Deadpool & Wolverine" proves, stirring the Wolverine pot with stealthy "Les Misérables" references is one of those jokes that only get better with repetition.