Just two years after making a big mistake in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be looking to repeat it in Deadpool 3. After the Infinity Saga, the MCU took an extended hiatus before kickstarting the Multiverse Saga. Projects like Loki, Marvel's What If...?, and Spider-Man: No Way Home set up concepts that are expected to play a pivotal role in this new chapter of the franchise like variants and the TVA (Time Variance Authority). That being said, it wasn't until Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that Marvel Studios really delved deep into the idea of multiple realities and timelines.
Marking Benedict Cumberbatch's second appearance as Doctor Strange in the post-Infinity Saga era, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness also built on the then-burgeoning MCU's multiverse as the sorcerer traveled through several realities. His adventure throughout multiple timelines was instigated by his attempt to help America Chavez escape Scarlet Witch who was hunting her down for her powers. One of the realities prominently featured in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was Earth-838 where the Illuminati exists. The council of superheroes was instituted by Supreme Strange as an attempt to have a coordinated effort to keep Earth safe after Thanos' dangerous attack.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness's Cameos Were Disappointing
Like in Marvel Comics, the Illuminati was tasked to make difficult decisions with regard to the safety of Earth. Every superhero team at play had their respective representative. MCU's version of the squad in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had a slightly different Illuminati line-up, however. It was composed of Peggy Carter's (Hayley Atwell) Captain Carter, Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and Maria Rambeau's (Lashana Lynch) Captain Marvel, Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Mister Fantastic (John Krasinski), and Professor X (Patrick Stewart). Followed by the positive response to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cameos ended up being a letdown.
There was so much anticipation for the debut of Earth-838's Illuminati. Fueled by persistent rumors about who was going to be part of the team, fans were thrilled about seeing the powerful squad on the big screen. Marketing for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness only confirmed the return of Stewart as Professor X, which only further hyped up the public about who else was going to be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Illuminati. The rest of the group had interesting origins stories, but aside from Stewart, Krasinski's Mister Fantastic and Mount's Black Bolt were among the most exciting from the bunch.
Unfortunately, before they could even establish themselves as powerful MCU players, Wanda Maximoff went on a rampage and ended up killing the Illuminati rather quickly in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Granted that the film understandably prioritized highlighting just how far Scarlet Witch had gone in of wanting to reunite with Billy and Tommy, but Marvel Studios could have at least made the Illuminati more formidable than they actually ended up being in the sequel. Each member of the team was murdered in the most ridiculous manner, giving the impression that Earth-838's Illuminati wasn't as powerful as they ought to be.
Deadpool 3's Reported & Rumored Returns Risk Repeating Multiverse of Madness's Mistake
Marvel Studios is looking at Deadpool 3 to advance its current storytelling. Unlike the Fantastic Four, Ryan Reynolds' existing sub-franchise will be absorbed into the MCU. There has been a string of casting news with regard to the threequel. For starters, Hugh Jackman will reprise Wolverine, and more recently, it has been announced that Jennifer Garner will also be back as Elektra. Both appearances are already exciting, but persistent rumors suggest that more characters from the now defunct Fox Marvel universe will return such as Stewart will also return as Professor X, and so are Halle Berry as Storm, James Marsden as Cyclops, and Ian McKellen's Magneto.
The rumors and reports surrounding Deadpool 3 are reminiscent of the hype Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness' cameos got leading up to its release. With several special guests on the docket for the threequel, Marvel Studios needs to be careful not to repeat the same mistakes that they did when handling Earth-838's Illuminati. There needs to be a justified reason for the Fox Marvel characters to appear in the Shawn Levy-directed involvement; their involvement should be integral to the plot of Deadpool 3. Otherwise, they may also feel shoehorned and were added just to pad Deadpool 3's cast list.
How Deadpool 3 Can Avoid Marvel's Multiverse Cameo Mistake
Luckily, it isn't exactly difficult to make sure that Deadpool 3's cameos are done better than Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Illuminati. Wolverine's appearance is somehow already justified, considering that Jackman is almost co-headlining the film based on what's revealed about his role. As for the other Fox Marvel characters in the movie, their appearances could be how Marvel Studios properly wraps up their stints in the Marvel multiverse. Justifying their cameos doesn't mean that they have to be prominently featured in the blockbuster. Perhaps, Deadpool 3 mines inspiration from the Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe narrative, only this time, he only ends the Fox branch of it.
Another way that Marvel Studios can ensure that Deadpool 3 handles its cameos better is by taking ability for blundering Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'. This will be fairly easy given Deadpool's ability to break the fourth wall and make hilarious comments. itting their mistakes and being willing to poke fun at them is a great way to show that not only do they acknowledge the lukewarm response to the Illuminati, but it can function as proof that they have learned from those errors as well.
Suffice it to say, Deadpool 3 can only do this if Marvel Studios is confident that they are not doing a repeat of their Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness crimes. That being said, just the fact that they are well aware of this while working on the prequel could help them actually deliver a satisfying cameo-filled film. For what it's worth, they can simply revisit the 2022 film and evaluate what went wrong with the Illuminati and consciously not do it in the threequel.
