The social media era has taken a lot of surprise out of cinema, with set photos and leaks – whether they prove to be accurate or otherwise – ensuring that there aren’t many high-profile releases that land unsullied, with Deadpool 3 the latest to fall victim to the unstoppable ruination of any revelations.

Recommended Videos

Not long after it was announced that prayers had finally been answered when it was confirmed Hugh Jackman would be sporting a comic-accurate Wolverine costume a full 24 years after making his debut in Bryan Singer’s X-Men, even more snaps emerged showcasing a fight scene taking place under the ruins of the 20th Century Fox logo.

That’s about as meta and fourth wall-shattering as you’d expect from the Merc with a Mouth, but when you factor in the return of Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, the fact almost the entire principal cast hail from the franchise’s previous ownership, and the speculation pointing in the direction of Halle Berry and her mutant cohorts, then it’s beginning to seem inevitable that Deadpool 3 really is the movie everyone wants it to be.

Ever since Jackman’s comeback was made public, fans have speculated that Deadpool and Wolverine will be going on a multiversal trip to put an end to Fox’s Marvel universe once and for all, riffing on the classic “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe” storyline.

Seeing the two leads brawling in front of the studio’s iconic fanfare hammers it home that the people are getting exactly what they wanted, and for once everybody seems genuinely thrilled at being rewarded with what sounded like nothing more than a pipe dream this time last year.