A pretty majorMCUcameo was omitted from the final cut ofDeadpool & Wolverine, and while it’s hard to believe, it was probably justified. Two months after its release, the manycameos withinDeadpool & Wolverineare still a hot topic, with appearances from the likes of Henry Cavill andChanning Tatum spurring calls for their MCU return. They were joined by Marvel heroes of yesteryear, including Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Wesley Snipes' Blade and Chris Evans' Human Torch, all of which helped to cement their legendary status in the MCU.
These prominent cameos may have helped define the ethos ofDeadpool & Wolverineas a love letter to the genre - andFox’s X-Men moviesin particular - but they only scratched the surface. A litany of lesser-known cameos were also included in the final cut, being so stuffed thatHarry Holland’s cameo as a Deadpool variantsupposedly even slipped by Ryan Reynolds. Nevertheless, a far more prominent actor was also supposed to appear in a secretive cameo inDeadpool & Wolverine- and I’m honestly shocked that he didn’t make it.
Rob McElhenney’s Deadpool & Wolverine Cameo Was Cut From The Final Movie
Rob McElhenney Was Supposed To Portray A TVA Agent
Rob McElhenney was supposed to feature inDeadpool & Wolverine, but his scene never made it past the cutting room floor. McElhenney is most well known for portraying Mac inIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and has significant star power off the back of that alone. He is additionally known for co-owning the Welsh football club, Wrexham FC, with Reynolds; the partners' journey is shown in the popular Disney+ docuseries,Welcome to Wrexham. The relationship fostered between the two actors seemingly evolved into an offer for McElhenney to cameo inDeadpool & Wolverine- to which he obliged.
This would lead to McElhenney flying to London to film theshort sequence in which he would have appeared as a fully masked TVA agent. Further details about his scene remain woefully unclear, as it was ultimately cut from the movie, despite McElhenney’s efforts to film the sequence and the fact that he could have added to a list ofwell-known appearances inDeadpool & Wolverine. As for why his scene was cut, Reynolds recently made sure to share his regret at what he referred to as a “Kill your darlings” moment.
Why Rob McElhenney’s Deadpool & Wolverine Cameo Was Cut From The MCU Movie
Ryan Reynolds Explains The Painful Decision To Cut McElhenney’s Cameo
In a post shared viaInstagram, Reynolds lamented over the tough decision to cut McElhenney’s cameo in the later stages of production while sharing an image of McElhenney in his TVA costume.His post confessed that the sequence “wasn’t working the way [they had] originally constructed it,“suggesting that it only got so far thanks to McElhenney’s talents.
Reynolds goes on to explain that working onDeadpool & Wolverinewas particularly stressful thanks to the excessive levels of expectation surrounding it. He then gives a clue as to what the scene would have entailed.
Reynolds also tagged Marvel to state that McElhenney would make a great HYDRA Bob, which garnered a significant amount of agreement.
Reynolds stated that McElhenney’s TVA agent “Begged for his life before Alioth snatched his unsuspecting body into the air.” This matches perfectly with a moment in the firstDeadpool & Wolverineteaser trailer (seen onYouTube), where a TVA Agent is bound, pleads for help, and gets snatched up by Alioth. With that in mind, this would have added another factor toDeadpool & Wolverine’s final sequencein the void and may have only helped to over-stuff the movie as a result.
Why I Think Deadpool & Wolverine Shouldn’t Have Kept Rob McElhenney’s Cameo
The Movie May Have Made Some Irreconcilable Changes
I’m not about to be so hyperbolic as to callDeadpool & Wolverinea perfect movie, but it’s safe to say that many correct decisions were made throughout its production. I’m happy to defer to Reynolds' and the rest of the filmmakers' better judgment on whether McElhenney’s cameo would have fit neatly into the final product safely in the knowledge thatthe movie worked just fine without this menial alteration. One of the most prevalent criticisms leveled atDeadpool & Wolverinewas its supposed overuse of cameos and fan service - although I firmly disagree on that particular matter.
Knowing that this fight sequence was instead focused on the resistance members crushing it in a spectacular brawl, I think omitting Alioth - and McElhenney’s scene - was ultimately for the best.
Based on what can be gleaned from the teaser trailer and Reynolds' description, it seems that McElhenney’s cameo was cut as part of the decision to remove a final onslaught by Alioth with the villainous mutants and the resistance members all present. Knowing that this fight sequence was instead focused on the resistance members crushing it in a spectacular brawl, I think omitting Alioth - and McElhenney’s cameo - was ultimately for the best. As Reynolds suggests, we can hopefully witness the humorous scene inDeadpool & Wolverine’s digital extras anyway.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Cast
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
