The biggest ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ cameos, explained

Marvel’s Merc With a Mouth is back — and he brought more than a few friends with him in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

It’s been six long years since we last saw Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool on the big screen, but Marvel’s beloved antihero returns, as mouthy as ever, and so does Hugh Jackman as “X-Men’s” gruff Wolverine. The movie also is packed with cameos of characters audiences might remember from Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as some surprise appearances.

Here’s a breakdown of “Deadpool & Wolverine’s” biggest cameos from Marvel movies past. (Turn back now if you haven’t seen the film.)

Years before Chris Evans suited up as Captain America to help lead the Avengers, he made his superhero movie debut as a member of Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic Four. Evans played Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, in 2005′s “Fantastic Four” and its 2007 follow-up, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Johnny and the other members of the Fantastic Four develop superpowers after being exposed to cosmic energy in space.

Johnny appears in the new film as Deadpool and Wolverine’s potential ally against the telepathic villain Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).

As teased in the film’s trailer, “Deadpool & Wolverine” sees the return of Dafne Keen as Laura from 2017′s “Logan.” Laura, also known as X-23, was created in an experiment using Logan’s DNA so her powers (and aspects of her personality) are very similar to her surrogate father’s.

Deadpool and Wolverine meet X-23 as part of a team that has been fighting against Cassandra.

Jennifer Garner first appeared as Elektra in 2003′s “Daredevil,” which starred Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind attorney who moonlights as a vigilante. Elektra is a skilled, sai-wielding assassin who serves as both Daredevil’s love interest and adversary. Garner last portrayed the character in 2005′s “Elektra,” a spinoff that follows the title character as a contract killer. (Garner and Affleck were married from 2005 to 2018 — their divorce is coyly addressed in the film.)

Elektra is part of the team that agrees to help Deadpool and Wolverine along with X-23.

Wesley Snipes portrayed the vampire hunter Blade in a trilogy of films: “Blade” (1998), “Blade II” (2002) and “Blade: Trinity,” which also starred Reynolds (2004). Blade is a human-vampire hybrid whose mother was attacked and killed by vampires while she was pregnant with him. He relies on a special serum to keep his own bloodlust at bay.

The one and (so far) only Blade, as he calls himself in the film, is also part of the ragtag team that includes X-23 and Elektra.

At long last, Channing Tatum makes his debut as Gambit in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Tatum had long been attached to an “X-Men” spinoff for the Ragin’ Cajun Remy LeBeau, which ended up becoming a casualty of Disney’s acquisition of Fox. After Tatum had expressed interest in playing the character, it was announced in 2014 that he would appear in a future “X-Men”-related project as Gambit. A “Gambit” film was slated for 2016 but faced a number of delays until it was officially canceled in 2019.

Gambit (and his energy-charged playing cards) is also part of the team Deadpool and Wolverine meet while trying to figure out how to defeat Cassandra.

BONUS: Henry Cavill and Blake Lively also appear in “Deadpool & Wolverine” as alternate versions of the title characters. Cavill, who appears as a Wolverine variant, previously portrayed DC icon Superman in that other superhero franchise. Lively, whose face is not actually seen on screen, is married to Reynolds and is credited as Lady Deadpool.