Deadpool 3 Can Pay Off Multiverse Of Madness AND Set Up Secret Wars

Since Deadpool 3 is set to follow a multiversal storyline, it can answer mysteries from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and help to set up Phase 6's climactic Avengers: Secret Wars. After Disney's acquisition of Fox in 2019, Ryan Reynolds was the only actor confirmed to be making the move as Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool, announced to be bringing the fan-favorite merc-with-a-mouth to the MCU in 2024 with Deadpool 3. Many questions about how the antihero would find himself in the MCU arose, but Phase 4 posed the answer with the introduction of the multiverse, which could play off of a hilarious montage featured at the end of Deadpool 2.

Deadpool 2 debuted Cable, a time traveler who uses a device that later-on allowed him to save Wade's life. However, in the wrong hands (Deadpool's hands), this device meant that Wade could travel into his own history and fix several mistakes, including the murder of his girlfriend, the representation of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Ryan Reynolds' decision to take a role in Green Lantern. While Deadpool's time jumps were played to comedic effect, time travel laws set out during Avengers: Endgame and Multiverse of Madness suggest that Deadpool's meddling in the time stream might have caused an incursion, which could be important in his MCU debut.

Doctor Strange 2 Didn’t Pay Off Its Incursion Warnings

Doctor Strange watches a world collapsing on itself in an incursion

After Loki's epic season finale cracked open the multiverse, the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness were set to explore the effects of this across multiple realities, but many viewers were left feeling quite disappointed. Despite Reed Richards' warning Doctor Strange about causing an incursion by spending time on Earth-838, nothing happened to make audiences feel as if the characters were actually in any danger. The only scenes featuring a glimpse of an incursion were set in Sinister Strange's universe, but MCU viewers are longing to see what an incursion actually entails and what might happen in a universe they're already familiar with.

Aside from actually seeing the incursion universe during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a lot of information has still been kept hidden about what happens when an incursion occurs. The introduction of the idea of incursions set up future projects for Marvel Studios, especially with Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon at the end of the Multiverse Saga. Clea's debut during the Multiverse of Madness post-credits scene also brought with it a warning about Doctor Strange himself having caused an incursion, that probably sets up the plot for Doctor Strange 3, which could potentially come before Avengers: Secret Wars, though it hasn't yet been announced.

Deadpool’s Multiverse Meddling Had To Have Caused Incursions

If Avengers: Endgame's time travel logic works for the now-defunct Fox universe, then Deadpool's time jumps at the end of Deadpool 2 didn't actually change the timeline, but created new branched realities that could potentially lead to incursions. There's no doubt that someone murdering Ryan Reynolds before the release of Green Lantern would probably significantly change the world, so Deadpool potentially caused immense damage to the timeline during this montage, which might become more important in Deadpool 3. Wade Wilson, along with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, will need to travel the multiverse in order to enter the MCU, meaning something has to happen in their universe to force them to leave.

Fox’s X-Men Series Could Get A Satisfying Ending During Deadpool 3

X-Men: The Last Stand cast including Shadowcat, Cyclops, Storm, Dark Phoenix, Wolverine, Rogue, Angel, Professor X, and Beast

Fox's X-Men film series' more recent projects have been some of the most divisive superhero films of the modern age, most notably X-Men: Dark Phoenix and, though separate, 2015's Fantastic Four. With a whole range of famous superheroes now at Marvel Studios' disposal, Deadpool 3's MCU storyline can finally give a satisfying ending to a franchise that had become far too convoluted and confusing, renowned for its timeline corrections and retcons. If Wade Wilson's time jumping at the end of Deadpool 2 did in fact cause incursions, then this could be the best way to eliminate the old Fox universe and start over with fresh faces for these well-known heroes.

Deadpool 3 can pay off Multiverse of Madness' incursion warnings by actually showing audiences what happens to a universe when an incursion occurs, using the Fox X-Men universe as the prime example of this destruction. Not only would this help to solidify the threat of incursions in audiences' minds, but also would be the perfect way to wipe the slate clean, and allow new actors to portray the MCU's X-Men team when they eventually get introduced. Some might be sad to see the Fox universe destroyed by an incursion, but it would certainly help to pave the way for a stronger selection of characters and stories in the ever-growing MCU.

How Could Deadpool 3 Setup Avengers: Secret Wars?

In Marvel Comics, the Beyonders, aliens who exist beyond the multiverse, cause incursions in an effort to wipe out the multiverse, leading to the formation of the "Battleworld," a universe in which a multitude of Marvel heroes and villains battle in the Secret Wars. This storyline will likely be altered extensively for the MCU, since it would take too long to introduce the lore of the Beyonders, and destroying every universe might seem a bit excessive. However, the introduction of incursions in Multiverse of Madness, and the idea that incursions could lead to Deadpool entering the MCU in Deadpool 3, could perfectly set up Avengers: Secret Wars' story.

An incursion caused in the Fox X-Men universe might mean that several old actors from that franchise could reprise their roles for one last time before finally handing their batons off to new actors for the MCU's official X-Men team. The Fox universe getting destroyed by an incursion would perfectly tie up any loose ends left in that storyline, especially since it ended abruptly after Disney bought out Fox, so it would be great to see the plot ended once and for all. Deadpool 3 could be the answer to this mystery, as well as setting up Avengers: Secret Wars and firmly planting itself in the world of the MCU.

Next: Deadpool 3's Plot Might Have Already Been Revealed In 2021