Since Stan Lee’s passing, the MCU has been without his beloved cameo appearances, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool should be the one to replace him. One of the things that Marvel fans looked forward to most in MCU films was seeing Stan Lee randomly appear on the screen. Lee's cameos were already a tradition in Marvel films before the likes of the first MCU production, 2008's Iron Man. Sadly, Lee made his last cameo appearance in Avengers: Endgame. Since then, all subsequent MCU films have not featured him as a cameo.

Deadpool starring the titular Ryan Reynolds' as the Merc with a Mouth spent time in production limbo for years before leaked footage in 2014 showed studios that audiences wanted to see the film made. Reynolds' portrayal of Wade Wilson in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Hal Jordan in 2011's Green Lantern made people doubt he could star in a superhero franchise properly. However, Reynolds' wasn't willing to give up on doing Deadpool justice. With the release of 2016's Deadpool and its 2018 sequel Deadpool 2 being huge box office successes, it's no surprise that a Deadpool 3 is confirmed as an MCU film in the future. Not much is known about the film besides Reynolds' reprising his role, but it will be a wild ride if the previous two films are any clue.

Related: Stan Lee's Once Upon A Deadpool Cameo Will Make You Cry

Now that Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 3 is scheduled as part of the MCU, he should replace Stan Lee as the cameo appearance in future films. At the very end of Deadpool 2, Wade acquires Cable's (Josh Brolin) time-traveling device and proceeds to go through several after-credit scenes of him changing things in his timeline. Most notably, he kills the Deadpool from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Ryan Reynolds holding a script of Green Lantern, among other things. Imagine Deadpool doing this in the MCU and the hilarity that it would bring. Wade made quips and one-liners that referenced the MCU throughout both of his films, calling out specific moments and characters throughout their timelines. This ability to break the 4th-wall would justify Deadpool showing up randomly throughout other films outside of his own. It would work very similarly to how Lee would randomly pop into films. Deadpool has even shown his ability to keep things "PG-13" in the edited cut Once Upon A Deadpool, a more family-friendly, holiday jaunt version of Deadpool 2. In it, there were direct blatant references to Disney and the MCU as well as a significantly higher amount of 4th-wall breaking. All of this was done between Deadpool and a captive Fred Savage reprising his role as the grandson from The Princess Bride than in the first cut of the film.

Deadpool pulls two guns on Firefist in Deadpool 2.

With the MCU now exploring the Multiverse, many previously non-MCU characters are becoming canon. Thanks to shows like WandaVision and Loki, along with films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness these characters are starting to appear in the MCU. Now that this is happening, the timing is right for someone to take up the cameo legacy that Stan Lee left behind. Deadpool could first start showing up in cameos before Deadpool 3, and his ability to break the 4th-wall would be the perfect medium to introduce himself and other characters from different franchises. Who else besides Deadpool would know why a character from a different universe is suddenly here?

Deadpool appearing as the cameo appearance in MCU films would also reflect how he frequently shows up in many different characters' stories in the comics. He is uniquely connected to many characters through various multiverse continuities in the comics would allow a more comic-accurate depiction of the character. This could easily be reflected in the MCU with Deadpool appearing as the cameo in future films.

With Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 3 in development, now is the ideal time for him to replace Stan Lee as the cameo appearances in the MCU. He could easily appear in various MCU projects due to multiple factors linked to his 4th-wall breaking shenanigans and connections to many characters. If there's anyone capable of filling the cameo void left by Stan Lee, it's Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool.

Next: Why Deadpool's Disney Debut Was In A Non-Marvel Trailer

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