Spoilers for Deadpool and Wolverine Ahead!

Summary

Deadpool & Wolverine
managed to exceed high expectations with stunning choreography and hilarious moments by Ryan Reynolds.
Henry Cavill’s surprise cameo as a Wolverine variant resonated with fans and hinted at his potential move to the MCU.
Cavill’s star power has grown post-DC exit, with fans supporting him in potential Marvel roles, signaling another win for Marvel over DC.

It’s finally here after what seemed like ages of waiting, sitting through tons of promo material that featured everything from Super Bowl ads to beer commercials, endless swirls in the rumor mill, and new cameo gossip practically every week. After all that, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Deadpool & Wolverine disappointed a little or paled in comparison to what was promised. After all, for a while, many hardcore fans of Hugh Jackman and the character that will forever define his career were unhappy that he chose to do the movie — fearing that by doing so, he may tarnish his near quarter-century legacy of playing one of the most beloved superhero characters of all time as sublimely as he always did.

However, now that it’s finally released, despite the hype train being a seemingly endless one, the film somehow managed to exceed expectations despite most people already knowing many of its finer details in advance. It featured visually stunning choreography and brilliantly hysterical humor delivered by Ryan Reynolds, who himself has proven to be the perfect casting choice for Deadpool. However, amid all that, the cameos delivered as promised, too, with some genuinely jaw-dropping ones making it into the film.

Among them, Channing Tatum finally got his Gambit while the likes of Jennifer Garner’s Elektra finally got her closure. While all the cameos were amazing in their own way, one stood out above all else since it featured another actor who many feel was also born for the superhero hero role he came to personify himself. It also silently delivered the perfect message to DC — one that has performed a miracle and managed to resonate on both sides of the great superhero divide.

Henry Cavill Played a Wolverine Variant in Deadpool 3

It came during one of the most awesome parts of Deadpool & Wolverine when Wade goes looking for a suitable Wolverine across the multiverse to replace the one his world lost. It gave the film a memorable excuse to showcase all the famous Wolverines Hugh Jackman never did quite get to play — and a scene of one that wasn’t him at all. That was because, in that now famous montage, one version of Wolverine was played by a former DC legend — Henry Cavill.

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What made it significant was that, while Christopher Reeve might have always been the quintessential Superman, Cavill had come to embody almost everything comic book fans of the Man of Steel had always loved about the famous character. His role as both Clark Kent and Superman in Man of Steel, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League has grown to mean a lot to fans of Superman, DC, and superheroes in general.

This was because, between things like Cavill’s physique, his looks, delivery, and the charm he brought to the dual character, he somehow always managed to look, sound, and act like Kal-El had leaped from the pages of a DC comic and onto the screen. To many, he was the perfect Superman and had come to own the role in many ways despite only starring in three films as the character. That’s why, when news broke that he was being replaced as the character for James Gunn’s upcoming DCU reboot, it sent shock waves throughout the ever-growing world of superhero fandom — one that spans multiple generations now.

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Henry Cavill’s Exit as Superman

After his unceremonious departure from the DCU, many fans have never gotten over the fact that he was basically just dumped despite being so popular with audiences and fans everywhere. What made it all worse was the manner in which it was done. When DC announced its major shake-up, it began with news that Gal Gadot would be replaced as Wonder Woman. If that wasn’t shocking enough, at first, it seemed that Cavill would be returning as Superman.

In fact, he even made a cameo in a Black Adam post-credit scene and later confirmed through an Instagram video that he would be returning as Superman, though this was before the Gunn takeover. Excited as the beloved actors’ millions of fans were at the news, his joy was also palpable through his expression and happy smile while announcing it.

However, only a short while later, he was forced to do a follow-up post confirming that he’d been told he would not be returning to the role. Unlike the bright, happy aura of his first announcement, this post was just a typed message against a black background, almost as if he could barely stand the news himself.

What Did Cavill’s Deadpool & Wolverine Cameo Mean?

Predictably, that whole fiasco resulted in a firestorm from fans of Cavill, Superman, DC, Zack Snyder, and just about everyone else, who were perplexed at how DC had not anticipated how badly that decision would go down. It’s been almost two years since then, and Cavill’s replacement, David Corenswet, has even already begun building his own era as the character, with interest in how his version turns out so strong that even photos of him putting his boots on as the character have been mired in endless discussions across social media.

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For Cavill, attention had long since turned to his other projects. Among them, the likes of his upcoming Highlander portrayal and others have only deepened fans’ love for the actor. While many online discussions persisted over what he should do next, many took to fan-casting him in a number of upcoming Marvel roles he’d be perfect for — Cyclops and Sentry featuring prominently among them. Around this time, many Marvel fans, who were still shaken up by knowing Hugh Jackman was planning to hang up his claws as Wolverine, began throwing around Cavill’s name as a potential replacement.

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With that idea mixing in with many other rumors that, among others, Cavill may have a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, the stage was set for the perfect reveal when he actually did. During that montage scene, Cavill unexpectedly pops up among all the different Hugh Jackman versions we see. Cavill’s part, now known as the Cavillrine, gave us a fantastic glimpse of how good he would look as the character. As impressive as Jackman has always been, Cavill’s superhero body is now legendary, and despite Jackman’s own shredded physique during his time as the character and in the film, Cavill managed to provide an even bulkier version of the character that looked pretty darn good.

Beyond the fact that it sent audiences, and later the internet, into a frenzy, it also delivered a strong message — one that DC may come to rue, since it perhaps indeed signals that Cavill may truly be considering joining the MCU. In fact, in the scene, Deadpool says, “On behalf of all humanity, this just feels right. We will treat you so much better than those s**t f***s down the street,” of course, referencing DC. If he does, whether it’s Wolverine, Cyclops, Sentry, or any other number of characters he could easily pull off given his muscular frame, it would be sure to instantly deliver yet another win for Marvel over DC in the superhero movie business.

After all, Cavill’s star power has only grown since DC let him go. In fact, many more fans have come to his side since, even among Marvel fans who had always grudgingly admitted that he had been the one good thing amid a shockingly bad run for DC ever since The Dark Knight trilogy took the standard of superhero films into the stratosphere.

It would certainly be amazing to see Henry Cavill in the MCU. Unlike DC’s continuous missteps and ineptitude that’s often seen many of their movies look like bad jokes next to MCU films, Henry Cavill’s cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine points out a key fact — Marvel’s on-screen success is largely down to the fact that they cater more often to the section of their fans who matter most — the comic book fans who were always there and knew every one of their characters long before any hero from the MCU ever became a household name. Deadpool & Wolverine is currently showing in theaters