Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most cameo-filled movies of recent years and marks the return of characters such as Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm / Human Torch, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, and Jennifer Garner’s Elektra Natchios. However, Ryan Reynolds recently revealed that other Fantastic Four characters, including ones from 2015’s Fantastic Four film (often known by its stylized title “Fant4stic”) almost made cameo appearances in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Ryan Reynolds on why no Fant4stic cameo was used in Deadpool & Wolverine
Reynolds disclosed in a recent interview that while characters from Fant4stic were part of the conversation of who would be included in the extensive list of cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine, they were ultimately left out because of the effect Evans’ Human Torch would already have on the narrative.
“Yeah, that was a part of it,” Reynolds told Collider. “But like that, you’re never going to get the mislead with like, Chris Evans, you know, with him doing it and the kind of license to thrill after that, with Chris.”
In addition, Reynolds, who also co-wrote and produced the movie, cited budgetary concerns as the reason. “So you know, and also, we were trying to be mindful of the budget,” he explained, noting that Deadpool & Wolverine was ultimately an R-rated project. “We were trying to make the movie. We always understood it’s rated R, you know. It isn’t a blank check, and part of our responsibility is to return the investment that they’re making in us. So I never want a budget that I don’t feel like I can make good on. And the more kind of toys you start asking for and the more kind of characters you start wanting to license, the deeper in that sort of point of no return becomes.”
Directed by Josh Trank, Fant4stic has a cast of Miles Teller as Reed Richards, Michael B. Jordan as Johnny, Kate Mara as Sue Storm, Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm, and Toby Kebbell as Victor Von Doom. It was meant to reboot the franchise but ended up being a critical and commercial failure, earning multiple Golden Raspberry Awards. Since then, Disney has acquired Fox. Now, a new Fantastic Four movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is currently in development as a part of the MCU.
