Deadpool & Wolverine Cameos Ranked: Why the Wolverine Montage Beats Blade, Gambit and Chris Evans for the Top Spot

The best cameos in Deadpool and Wolverine are the Wolverine variants, and that montage sits at number one on my list of the film's 10 best cameos, just ahead of the Deadpool Corps. There has been a lot of debate about the cameos, and some of you are disappointed because changes were made from what was originally planned, so you did not get your original X-Men or a lot of the other big names from the Fox Marvel Universe. But I like what we ended up with. I think it serves the movie quite well, and we got enough for a top 10 plus an honourable mention.

That honourable mention goes to Sabretooth and Pyro. They had very little to do, just like in their original appearances, but at least they showed up, which is more than can be said for Azazel, Lady Deathstrike, Toad and Juggernaut. When those characters got their close ups, we were left thinking, wait a minute. Maybe for budgetary reasons, offers were not even made to those original cast members, although let's be honest, how expensive could some of them have been? Then why include them at all? It was weird that some people were brought back and others were not. Pyro had a little more to do, but Sabretooth was in and out almost immediately. Still, they deserve a shout out, because they came to play.

10. Chris Hemsworth's crying Thor was a clever way to use a cut scene

Chris Hemsworth might have appeared for only a few seconds on a screen in the TVA, but just like Deadpool, I want to know why Thor was crying over an injured Deadpool's body. That was great. Apparently a longer scene was filmed that did not make the final cut, so maybe we will get it in the DVD extras, but this was a clever way to still use a part of it. It was awesome for Hemsworth to cameo in someone else's movie, especially because his own Thor movies have benefited so much from hilarious cameos. Way to pay it forward, Chris. A lot of the Chrises are good, and as far as I am concerned, "there is no best Chris."

Even beyond the MCU, Hemsworth has proven to be a great sport and an all round good bloke, and I love the guy. He took a lot of heat for Thor: Love and Thunder, which was kind of fair, since he was very creatively involved. But I do not think we should walk away from him over it. I think he knows it was a mistake, and he is a very gifted comedian, which has helped the character substantially. I still love his Thor, and he does a lot of the voice work in the animation that some other actors do not. Hopefully someday soon we will see Thor and Deadpool interact again. They would interact so differently than Wolverine and Deadpool do, and I would be excited to see it.

9. Happy Hogan surprised me and delivered the film's key message

Like a lot of these cameos, I had gotten word of the final list a couple of weeks before I saw the movie, and when I heard about this one I expected it to be lame. Partly that is because we have been seeing a lot of Happy. Apparently Jon Favreau always takes Kevin Feige's call, and I can see why you would not want to ignore that call, but once in a while you might ask whether Happy is being overexposed. Maybe he is not, because once again he was fantastic. I ended up loving this scene, and it is also very important to the film.

It is worth remembering that Favreau has a strong comedic background. He is mostly directing these days, though not for lack of trying, and he can be very funny. He played really well off Ryan Reynolds and was a good sport about Reynolds laying into his character with the line about him being the chauffeur, which was so funny because I think a lot of us are still thinking that. I also liked the joke about no Robert Downey Jr. cameo, where Happy says he does not do these, Reynolds reacts as if he means cameos, and Happy clarifies he means interviews. I think it is too early for Downey to come back anyway.

That office reminded me of the good old days of Stark Industries, with its Silicon Valley, California corporate aesthetic, and it was packed with Avengers artifacts and mementos. They really captured that classic MCU magic. The MCU has been around so long that it has a classic feel we have to look back on now. As I see it, "if the Avengers were a room it would be that room." Happy also delivers the message of the film: you are not supposed to need to be in the Avengers; the Avengers are supposed to need you on the team. Deadpool learns that lesson by the end, and I would love to see him actually join the Avengers, or at least go on a mission with them. I think this scene showed it would work. He was already in the building, so maybe an Avengers internship is a start.

8. The TVA cameos missed Loki and Mobius but B-15 made up for it

Am I bummed that neither Loki, Mobius nor Ouroboros showed up? I sure am. I felt it was a huge missed opportunity. I guess they had already learned their lessons about not abusing their power, which left Paradox to go rogue in his own jurisdiction, the Fox Marvel Universe, and those rules kind of worked for me, so I went along with it. Loki of course is in his chair, and I guess Mobius is taking a break, but I would have really liked to see Mobius in particular. B-15 showing up, though, kind of made up for it.

I did appreciate the TVA upgrade, which looked like the nicest men's store in the mall, with sweet cubicles. They spent a ton of money on the Loki show, but apparently it still was not movie money. B-15 has clearly been promoted yet again, which we kind of saw coming at the end of Loki season 2, and she has a beautiful new office, much nicer than Renslayer's ever was. The TVA in Loki had a rundown feel, like it had seen better days, whereas this TVA seemed highly operational. Maybe this is the TVA's new look and they have remodeled.

Wunmi Mosaku is vital to connecting this film to the Loki series, and I am really glad at least one cast member showed up, because it gives legitimacy to this TVA for those of us who liked the Loki show all the way through both seasons. I loved it. She does a great job with her monologue at the end, and I think this movie gave her a better spotlight than she ever had on the show. Will B-15 act on her flirtation in the film? I wonder how she will feel about the extensive piercings her love interest turned out to have. Then there is the Void and Alioth, already seen in the trailers, but I liked the addition of Deadpool calling out the exact Loki episode Alioth appeared in. That made me laugh.

Let's not forget the TVA Hunters, who make for spectacular red shirts with their upgraded uniforms and technology. They are good enough in a fight to give our heroes something of a challenge, rather than going straight down. That puts them a touch above their Disney owned cousins, the Stormtroopers, who are infamously incompetent. When the forces are a little more competent, it makes it more fun.

7. Elektra shows how Ryan Reynolds' relationships shaped the cameos

Ryan Reynolds is one of the most prolific people working in Hollywood today, and his Rolodex, so to speak, is mighty. You will notice that a lot of these cameos are driven less by the characters and more by who Reynolds has a history with and can call, text or email, and I think you will see how much that influenced the lineup. Jennifer Garner appeared in The Adam Project, which not only starred Reynolds but was also directed by Shawn Levy. Like Halle Berry's Catwoman, Garner's Elektra has her fans.

While she has mostly been playing zany moms these days, Garner has a strong action legacy to fall back on. It is too bad she does not get any really good action sequences here, which was weird, and if she had, she would have been higher on this list. She does have a fatality, though: her ex, Ben Affleck. When Deadpool offers his condolences that Affleck's Daredevil did not survive the Void, Elektra just shrugs and says it is okay. Some of the comedy here was quite aggressive.

6. X-23 deserved a better action sequence from Dafne Keen

I feel bad that these women did not get better action sequences, or again they would be higher up. We know Dafne Keen can deliver action, since she was a crucial part of one of the best Star Wars lightsaber battles ever. I know how some of you feel about that, but it was a good lightsaber battle and she did a fantastic job. Still, it was great to see her return all grown up and looking a lot like adult X-23, and I appreciated the callback to her look in Logan, with the shades and the backpack.

She also got invited to the pizza party at the end, sitting next to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine as his family, so maybe that means she will stick around. Fans went crazy over X-23 when she popped up briefly in the final trailer, and her Jedi, Jecki, also has a number of fans, so look for her in more Disney projects. She certainly seems to have an in at the studio, and possibly she will return as X-23, where hopefully she will get a decent action sequence. I know she was crucial to getting Juggernaut's helmet, but it was not really an impressive sequence.

5. Chris Evans' Johnny Storm was a huge get, even if he is not higher

You might wonder how Chris Evans is not higher, so let me explain. This is another Ryan Reynolds connection, with Evans having already made a hilarious cameo in Free Guy, also directed by Shawn Levy. Evans loves his beard, but when he shaves it he gives off total movie star, and he was looking sharp in this film. He is a huge get for Deadpool and Wolverine, especially since fans fondly remember and miss his Captain America. I dare say that by the time he retired, his Captain America had become the most popular Avenger, surpassing Tony Stark.

I can hardly believe he surpassed Tony Stark. Bucky killed Tony's parents, and I never understood how some of you did not understand where Tony was coming from in Civil War. But that was the breaking point where a lot of you fell in love with Cap, not only for his unwavering loyalty to his best friend but for his willingness to challenge authority. He became a hero of the 99 percent with that film, with Tony saddled with representing the 1 percent. As a side note, I think Robert Downey Jr. pushed his way into that movie and it really hurt his legacy.

In this movie, though, Evans is not Captain America. The joke is that he is playing Johnny Storm, his very first Marvel role, a big breakout from back when Fox still had the rights. Some people wondered whether he could still be Captain America after being Johnny Storm, and the answer was a resounding yes. Here he is really more Chris Evans than Johnny Storm. He wears the Fantastic Four suit and flames on briefly before Pyro devours him, which is embarrassing for Pyro. It is nice that Evans made this an extended cameo and came back for the post credit scene in a hilarious callback, and I also want to shout out the Fantastic Car's brief appearance.

4. Wesley Snipes' Blade was an amazing and aggressive cameo

This is another amazing get, but Wesley Snipes and Ryan Reynolds go way back. Reynolds started out on TV, and one of the ways he transitioned to film was a supporting role in Blade: Trinity in 2004, 20 years before this movie. Snipes has also been vocal about protecting his legacy as Blade. While X-Men and Spider-Man, in 2000 and 2002, often get credit for beginning the current comic book movie renaissance, many fans feel the actual beginning was Blade in 1998. It comes up almost every time we have that discussion.

Fans want Snipes to at least cameo in the new MCU movie with Mahershala Ali, but I think Snipes would not be happy with a cameo. He feels he can still play Blade, and he has gleefully been throwing shade at the new production as it continues to suffer delays. Even here, he proclaims there will only ever be one Blade in an MCU movie. As I said in my non spoiler review, I cannot believe Kevin Feige approved that line. It is very aggressive toward Mahershala Ali.

Maybe Snipes is right, though. Not only does he do a great job here and still has it, but there were no updates about the MCU version of the character at that point, with Comic-Con coming up that week as a possible moment for news. It also looked like Ali had signed up for the new Jurassic movie, so Snipes might end up getting the last laugh. I thought they would still make the Blade movie, and it would be so bad if they did not. This was aggressive, but also a great cameo.

3. Channing Tatum's Gambit turned out far better than I expected

This cameo turned out so much better than I ever would have expected. Channing Tatum also cameoed in Free Guy, again starring Reynolds and directed by Shawn Levy, and at the time of writing the duo had just signed on for a buddy action movie in which Reynolds plays a police detective forced to work with his estranged criminal brother, played by Tatum. That sounded pretty good to me, although it could go either way, since both actors have their ups and downs. I thought it sounded promising and would certainly give it a whirl.

Tatum was this close to playing Gambit for real, and he even wore a Gambit t-shirt at one of the last Fox Marvel panels at Comic-Con, sitting next to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Hollywood is a town of relationships, and I think this movie is one of the best examples of that. I love following that history. This is not a serious Gambit but a comedic one, perfect for Deadpool, and Tatum's comedic skills, recalling his fantastic work in the Jump Street films, are excellent here. His Cajun accent is hilarious.

I hope his suit looks intentionally silly, because it is nowhere near as good as the concept art, but his moves are insane, and seeing him shuffle his deck of cards on the battlefield was iconic. Comedic or not, this is the first time we have truly seen Gambit in live action, and that makes this cameo extra special. What a year for Gambit, with his amazing scenes in X-Men '97 as well. Clearly the character is on Kevin Feige's radar.

2. The Deadpool Corps, led by Nicepool and Dogpool, is the runner up

Fittingly, the best cameos in this movie focus on multiverse versions of its two stars, as it should be. It was pretty selfless to put the spotlight primarily on the return of fan favourite Wolverine, but the Deadpool Corps definitely rocks too. Its entrance is a callback to the iconic return of the snapped heroes in Endgame. I like that we start with Lady Deadpool, voiced by Blake Lively and rocking one heck of a ponytail. I do not think that is actually Lively in the suit, but it was very effective.

We got a lot of fan favourite Deadpools in the Corps, with tons of deep cuts to the comics, particularly the Deadpool comics. It is funny that they can all regenerate, except for Nicepool, and that they all have a soft spot for the one regular guy among the heroes, the only one able to call off their assault. The real standouts are Nicepool and Dogpool. Nicepool was created just for this movie, and I can see him being used in future comics because he is so effective. In some ways he is very much like that same regular guy, with his nice guy attitude, except for the luxurious locks.

Dogpool is from the comics, but he has never been this ugly or this adorable. It is a great change, and another thing I would not be surprised to see reflected in the comics. Our Deadpool instantly falls in love with the little guy, so we do too, and he gives the movie some of its funniest and sweetest moments.

1. The Wolverine montage, Henry Cavill included, is the top cameo by far

The top cameos in the movie are by far the Wolverine montage. In my words: "absolute cinema." The big flashy headline is that Henry Cavill briefly shows up as one of the Wolverines, all of whom are Hugh Jackman except him, and there is a great joke about how poorly Cavill was treated by DC. It is funny because it is true. As good as he might look as Wolverine, the role is clearly still occupied by Jackman, so Cavill is always the bridesmaid. He is a franchise romantic at heart, though, and at the time of writing he was set to try again with Chad Stahelski's Highlander reboot, due to start filming that January.

After 24 years of playing the character, Jackman finally gets to honour the even longer legacy of the comic book icon thanks to the multiverse. There is Old Man Logan, Patch, and Wolverine in his classic yellow and brown suit about to take on the Hulk, where he made his first appearance. Could we not have stayed in that universe a minute longer? To me, the most iconic Wolverines here were the recreation of the famous Marc Silvestri comic book cover, a psychedelic, hyper accurate fever dream that recalls Zack Snyder's work, particularly Watchmen, and short king Wolverine, a hilarious shout out and burn to fans who keep asking for a comics accurate height, complete with a tight black v neck overcompensating t-shirt.

Then of course there is Age of Apocalypse Wolverine. So many comic book fans, including me, got into the X-Men through that year long multiverse event, but even as comic books have blown up over the past decade or so, it never gets any acknowledgement. To see it here, and done so well, was an absolutely amazing gift for the fans.

Now that you know some of the comic and Hollywood history behind these actors and characters, how would you rank the cameos in Deadpool and Wolverine?