Deadpool & Wolverine is going to be filled with Marvel cameos, but director Shawn Levy has proven that he can handle a cameo-filled blockbuster.

Deadpool & Wolverine will include a plethora of Marvel cameos, but director Shawn Levy has proven he can include these cameos without the film feeling overstuffed. While Levy has a long career in Hollywood, his work in successful franchises has flown under the radar. He is responsible for the Night at the Museum franchise and has had a major impact on Netflix’s Stranger Things. Recently, he’s struck up a great working relationship with Ryan Reynolds, with the pair working on Free Guy and Netflix’s The Adam Project together.

Thanks to their flourishing relationship, Levy has been granted the keys to directing Deadpool & Wolverine, still working closely with Reynolds, who is also a writer and producer of the film. Still, this is the biggest spotlight Levy has worked under, and expectations are high for this film. Besides capturing the dynamic between the titular characters, Levy has to give audiences many exciting moments that combine Fox’s Marvel universe with the MCU. Fortunately, the director already showed in a recent movie that he is up to the task.

Free Guy Proved Shawn Levy Can Handle Multiple Cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine

Stacked Casts And Big Name Talent Is Sort Of His Thing

Free Guy is, of course, the 2021 action comedy directed by Levy and starring Reynolds, who plays Guy. Guy is an NPC (Non-Playable Character) who lives in a multiplayer online game, where crime and death happen daily. When he is suddenly snapped out of his code, Guy goes on a mission to free himself and the other NPCs from the developers who dictate their lives. Free Guy was a successful, crowd-pleaser, grossing $331.5 million worldwide. It proved Reynolds and Levy worked well as a creative team, but it also proved that Levy could execute cameos well.

The film is littered with cameos from actors like Hugh Jackman, Channing Tatum, and Chris Evans. However, these moments don’t feel unnecessary and they could even be easy to miss. They give audiences humorous, exciting moments without taking away from the story. Additionally, the film included references to the MCU and Star Wars, with Guy wielding a lightsaber and Captain America’s shield during a fight. It could be seen as cynical since Disney bought Fox before this film, but it was an entertaining moment that gave audiences a reason to cheer without being distracting.

What Characters Are Expected To Appear in Deadpool & Wolverine?

Deadpool 3 Looks Like One Of The Most Stacked Superhero Movie Casts Ever

Outside of Deadpool and Wolverine, not much has been confirmed. There will be appearances from the original Deadpool characters, like Vanessa, Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Dopinder, and Yukio. X-Force members Peter (Rob Delaney) and Shatterstar (Lewis Tan) are also confirmed to be back, but there’s no news on the likes of Brad Pitt’s The Vanisher or Bill Skarsgard’s Zeitgiest. The trailer also confirmed the return of Aaron Stanford’s Pyro, who last played the character in X-Men: The Last Stand. Some likely cameos are Jennifer Garner’s Elektra and Ray Park’s Toad, but these haven’t been officially confirmed.

There are also several variants of Deadpool – including Dogpool – and major hints of Wolverine variants too, with the tuxedo-wearing Patch seemingly glimpsed in the trailer. Quite how many of those variants of either is unclear at this stage, but seat leaks have confirmed some and apparent “scoops” point at more. Even with that stacked cast, there’s some big names who aren’t returning…

Hundreds of rumors exist about who could be appearing, with many cameos still up in the air. Patrick Stewart could return as Professor X, along with Ian McKellen’s Magneto, while Taylor Swift could make her MCU debut as Dazzler. Audiences will have to wait until July 26 to find out who’s in Deadpool & Wolverine, but Levy should deliver on expectations.