One death in Deadpool & Wolverine killed off the perfect way for future MCU releases like Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars to explain why Thor was crying. By the ending of Deadpool & Wolverine, the overall MCU multiverse had grown considerably. However, the movie also contained its fair share of character deaths, with the Deadpool & Wolverine cameo roster often serving to reintroduce major figures, only to kill them off shortly after bringing them to the table.

While this provided bonus finales for the likes of Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm and Tyler Mane’s Sabretooth, the death of one Marvel movie character may have sabotaged a perfect setup for the MCU’s upcoming releases. With Deadpool & Wolverine introducing a mysterious scene of Thor crying over what appears to be Deadpool in the movie, audiences have speculated at length about what the scene could mean, and how it would best be paid off. Unfortunately, one of the most straight-forward paths to do so has now been cut off for the MCU timeline with the death of one Deadpool variant.

Deadpool & Wolverine’s Nicepool Was Almost The Perfect Way To Explain Deadpool’s Death & Why Thor Was Crying

Nicepool Came Close To Being The Perfect Explanation For Why Thor Was Crying

Of all the many Deadpool variants introduced in Deadpool & Wolverine, Nicepool – played by “Gordon Reynolds” – is the most prominent in the movie itself. Nicepool is the first Deadpool variant the two titular characters meet, is the initial owner of Dogpool, and is a version of the Merc With A Mouth who immediately stands out since he’s not scarred from the results of Deadpool’s nightmarish origin story. As it turns out, this is because Nicepool doesn’t have a healing factor like most other Deadpool variants are shown to have, which leads to his death when the movie’s main Deadpool uses him as a human shield.

While a darkly comedic moment in the story, it’s one that sabotaged what could have been the perfect way to explain why Thor is shown crying over Deadpool’s seemingly dying body at some unspecified point in the future, as per the TVA footage Deadpool watched. As a Deadpool without a healing factor, it would have been relatively easy to have Nicepool experience wounds that other Deadpools would have healed from but that he couldn’t, leaving him looking similar to his variant brethren but ultimately killing him in the process, with Thor touched by this kind hero’s sacrifice.

However, as it stands, Nicepool instead experienced a drawn out and decidedly bloody demise after being placed between Deadpool and Wolverine and the Deadpool Corps who were trying to kill them. As such, the MCU will need a different explanation for why Thor was crying to satisfy the curiosity of fascinated fans, with the continual questions about the matter making it clear it’s still very much a subject of interest for many of those who went to see the movie.

How The MCU Can Still Explain Why Thor Was Crying

The MCU Still Has A Selection Of Ways It Can Explain The Deadpool & Wolverine Scene

Though Nicepool’s death crosses one potential explanation for why Thor was crying over Deadpool off the list, there are still a vast range of potential explanations the franchise can utilize. Since Thor doesn’t appear to have ever met Deadpool or a Deadpool variant before, it’s entirely possible that it’s revealed the reason he is crying is because he doesn’t know Deadpool can heal from damage that would kill other mortals, and is sad to be seemingly losing his new human ally.

That said, it’s also possible Deadpool dies in Avengers 5 or Avengers 6, as this would be a big death for the overall MCU that wouldn’t impact the current main hero roster. While certainly possible, this seems unlikely currently, as it would mean the franchise couldn’t capitalize on Deadpool’s integration into the MCU, which would be a particular waste after the success of Deadpool & Wolverine, which has come at a point in which the franchise should theoretically appreciate a $1B+ movie release more than ever.

As such, it seems more possible that something else is taking place, with a potential explanation being that Deadpool and Thor are only pretending that Deadpool is dying. Not only would this make sense given Thor’s often more comedic movie sensibilities are more in line with Deadpool’s compared to other MCU heroes, but the moment would also be akin to Thor and Loki’s “Get Help” trick in Thor: Ragnarok – which sees the brothers play a similar trick on some guardians by convincing them that Loki is dying in order to get them unaware before dispatching them.

The MCU May Never Explain Why Thor Was Crying In Deadpool & Wolverine

The Nature Of The Deadpool & Wolverine Joke Scene Leaves Things Uncertain For The Time Being

While Ryan Reynolds and Chris Hemsworth have both suggested they know a real reason behind Thor crying in the Deadpool & Wolverine scene, there is a chance that this moment will never be elaborated on. Since the scene is actually an altered version of Thor: The Dark World archival footage – tweaked to include Deadpool instead of Loki, who Thor was originally holding – it’s not something that’s necessarily been factored into the stories of upcoming MCU releases. Indeed, since the moment is largely taken from another movie, it may be hard to incorporate it into the plot of a new installment.

As such, it’s entirely possible that this scene will remain a one-off joke, with the punchline being how it is never answered. This could even lead to its own form of a running gag, with Deadpool consistently trying to figure out what exactly was happening in the TVA scene with him and Thor, and when exactly it actually takes place. In many ways, this may be easier than actively answering the question, since it means the focus can instead be on Deadpool’s understanding of Thor himself and the multiverse.

However, based on Deadpool & Wolverine‘s critical and financial reception, it’s more likely than ever that later installments will provide a later payoff for the gag, both as a callback to the now iconic Marvel movie, and because it’s a moment that could add some levity into the more tense later chapters of the Multiverse Saga. As such, it will be interesting to see how the MCU handles the Deadpool & Wolverine Thor joke, and whether it chooses to address it or not, especially since the easiest explanation for the moment was killed off.