Shawn Levy Unpacks ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameos and Spoilers: Channing Tatum’s Gambit, Jennifer Garner’s Ben Affleck Divorce Joke, Henry Cavill’s Wolverine and More
variety.comRebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter It started with a text. Or, really, several texts. That’s how director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds convinced Chris Evans, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum and more major stars to join Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in the otherwise top-secret cast of “Deadpool & Wolverine.” In the multiversal adventure, those actors reprised their roles from various Fox-era Marvel movies, including Evans as Johnny Storm from 2005’s “Fantastic Four” and the 2007 sequel “Rise of the Silver Surfer,” Garner’s Elektra from 2003’s “Daredevil” and 2005’s “Elektra,” Snipes from the “Blade” trilogy, and Tatum as Gambit — whose film never saw the light of day.
Despite the many, many years that have passed since those names first donned their Spandex costumes, Levy says they didn’t require much persuading to get back in uniform. “With pretty much no exceptions, every surprise casting in this movie came down to Ryan or I reaching out to the actor before lawyers and before agents [were involved],” Levy, who also co-wrote and produced the movie, told Variety July 29, the Monday after opening weekend. “It literally was us asking and invariably people saying ‘yes.'” Thanks to those high-wattage cameos (some of which were kept under wraps better than others) as well as pent-up demand to see Jackman’s gruff mutant Logan emerge from retirement and finally pair with Reynolds’ wise-cracking Merc With a Mouth, “Deadpool & Wolverine” has obliterated box office expectations.
After two weekends of release, the film has grossed $824 to stand as the second-biggest movie of 2024. It’s not an educated wish to declare it’s about to become only the second R-rated film in history to surpass $1 billion globally.
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