A Deadpool & Wolverine actor has revealed the pre-MCU version of the story for the movie, and it would not have been quite what fans expected.

Ryan Reynolds and the team behind the Deadpool franchise had a different story planned for Deadpool & Wolverine before the movie became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the newly-revealed details about the movie’s original plot explain why things changed under Marvel Studios. Reynolds first played Wade Wilson in the disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009. The actor then returned as a comic book-accurate version of the character for two Deadpool movies at Fox, with the Merc with a Mouth’s films breaking records for R-rated movies and becoming crowdpleasers that rival the MCU’s best movies.

Naturally, given the success of the two Deadpool movies, Reynolds was working on a third film for the franchise, with Fox also planning an X-Force spinoff. However, Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox led to the project getting stopped and then reworked to fit the MCU. While some elements will remain between the two movies as revealed by Reynolds, the story of Deadpool & Wolverine is deeply rooted in the MCU, as the film’s first trailer showed. That was a necessary move, which replaced the original plan for Deadpool 3, which has now been revealed.

Deadpool & Wolverine’s Original Story Would Have Made Moving Into The MCU Way Harder

Dopinder Actor Has Revealed The Original Deadpool 3 Plan

Speaking to Screen Rant at this year’s SXSW, Deadpool franchise actor Karan Soni revealed the original story for Deadpool 3 from before the movie was brought into the MCU. The actor confirmed that Hugh Jackman was always part of the movie, then revealed the shocking original story for the film. When asked if it was okay to share specific details, the Dopinder actor said, “Yes, I think it’s online a little bit, so I can. It was going to be originally a road trip movie where Deadpool tries to save Christmas, so we all go to the North Pole.”

Simply put, the idea of Deadpool 3 being about the characters trying to save Christmas and go to the North Pole to do so is ridiculous, and while it very much so fits the character, it would have been too goofy for the MCU. Marvel’s What If…? season 2 featured a story with similar themes, which point to the original Deadpool 3 plan not fitting the MCU’s live-action plans, feeling more like a surreal side adventure for an animated series. That said, a key element seemingly remained for the MCU.

The original plan for Deadpool 3 could have been devised after the creation of the PG-13 cut of Deadpool 2 , Once Upon a Deadpool , which featured a Christmas theme.

Deadpool & Wolverine’s Road Trip Is Better Now Under The MCU

Hugh Jackman Deserved A Bigger Return

Deadpool & Wolverine might not be keeping the “saving Christmas” aspect of the original story for the movie planned under Fox, but the film is rumored to still present a road trip with Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Given how Deadpool & Wolverine now exists in the MCU, the film can use Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga to its full effect, with the road trip Reynolds had envisioned for the original film now taking Deadpool and Wolverine to other universes rather than the North Pole.

That is a much better setup for the road trip concept, as it allows for more impactful storytelling, which is a better use of Wolverine. After having said he was done with the role following 2017’s Logan, Jackman decided to come back as the X-Men character for Deadpool & Wolverine. Given his popularity and almost 25 years of playing the character, Jackman’s Wolverine return deserved to be in a movie that was a major event like the MCU film is expected to be, rather than a Christmas-themed superhero comedy.

Which Marvel Movies Deadpool & Wolverine Can Revisit

Fox And MCU Movies Could Be In The Cards

To keep the road trip alive, the MCU movie could revisit entries in Fox’s X-Men franchise as well as the MCU itself. Deadpool & Wolverine set photos and videos have already teased a destroyed Fox logo, the appearance of multiple X-Men characters, the Fantastic Four, and more. With Deadpool & Wolverine’s trailer confirming the return of the original Pyro actor from the X-Men movies, the role the TVA will play in the film, and Deadpool possibly being seen in the Void, a dimension that holds several variants and items from other worlds, the multiverse will go all-out in the film.

With Wolverine in play, the MCU movie could go back to multiple X-Men movies to reveal which variant Jackman is playing. X-Men: Days of Future Past is a good one as it featured actors from both the original and younger X-Men movie timelines. Given Pyro’s presence, X2, one of the best X-Men movies, could also be revisited. Chris Evans has mentioned that he would be game to return as the Human Torch, so Deadpool & Wolverine exploring the 2000s Fantastic Four movies is another interesting possibility, as is an MCU throwback with the duo in one of the Avengers movies.