Split image of Deadpool with and without mask

Deadpool & Wolverine hid a number of high-profile actors behind superhero masks, and I still can’t believe they kept them on for the full length of the MCU movie. Deadpool & Wolverine‘s cameos were numerous and impressive, featuring many huge returning Marvel figures alongside a selection of just as exciting movie debuts. This provided a real range that meant while some cameos stole the show, others served more as exciting background features for fans to dissect alongside the more obscure Deadpool & Wolverine references after some potential later consideration or a second watch.

By the time of the Deadpool & Wolverine ending, though, it’s likely many viewers may have forgotten one especially intriguing prospect – that none of the Deadpool Corps have taken off their masks throughout the movie. Entertainingly, the movie’s credits reveal that this decision actually hides a huge amount of notable individuals from the direct spotlight, and I’m fascinated at the decision to do so.

Deadpool & Wolverine Hid Some Major Actors In The Deadpool Corps

The Deadpool Corps Have Some Big Real-World Names In It

Lady Deadpool leading the Deadpool Corps in Deadpool & Wolverine

Many major cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine may have flown over the heads of audience members who didn’t stick around for the credits, as some of the biggest actors in the movie play characters who remain entirely masked throughout their appearances. Accomplished actor and Ryan Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, most notably appeared as Lady Deadpool – and while she was theorized to be cast in the role before the movie released, even those expecting her to debut still could have found themselves unable to confirm if she was in the role until her name popped up in the credits.

Similarly, Matthew McConaughey appeared in the Deadpool Corps as a cowboy-themed Deadpool variant in the movie. While his distinctive voice potentially clued in some fans who are particularly familiar with the well-established actor, seeing no trace of his face also makes this a far harder feat, especially since Cowboypool doesn’t have a huge numbers of lines in Deadpool & Wolverine. Finally, Nathan Fillion also voices Headpool, who is arguably the hardest to pin down due to the character being only a head with a propeller covered in Deadpool’s distinctive mask.

Even More Major Deadpool & Wolverine Cameos Were Concealed In the Deadpool Corps

Deadpool & Wolverine Features A Lot Of Other Notable People

Wolverinepool fighting with the Deadpool Corps in Marvel Comics

The MCU’s Deadpool Corps debut also included a lot of other incredibly noteworthy figures outside of this actor roster. Inez Reynolds and Olin Reynolds – Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s children – played the variants Kidpool and Babypool respectively, with their sibling James Reynolds also making a cameo in the movie in a role credited as “Screaming Mutant”. Footballer Paul Philip Mullin appeared as another Deadpool variant known as Welshpool, with his and Rob McElhenney’s Deadpool & Wolverine cameos coming after they featured alongside Reynolds in the Welcome To Wrexham documentary, which saw McElhenney and Reynolds buy the Wrexham A.F.C football club.

Canadapool was played by Alex Kyshkovych, who served as a Deadpool stunt double for both previous Deadpool movies alongside many other Marvel and DC projects. MCU Spider-Man actor Tom Holland’s brother, Harry Holland, also had a role as a Deadpool variant in the movie, who has been nicknamed Harrypool.

Why Deadpool & Wolverine Hid So Many Major Cameos

Deadpool & Wolverine’s Decision To Conceal These Cameos Makes Sense For Many Reasons

Deadpool in Logan's forest in Deadpool & Wolverine

The nature of the Deadpool Corps inherently lends itself to hiding actors and notable figures in the cast, as Deadpool is defined by his suit and mask, which cover his entire body and face. While the members of the Corps could’ve taken off their masks for some dramatic reveals in the film, this could’ve been hard to pull off without potentially feeling overly fanservice-esque since Deadpool generally doesn’t take his mask off very often, and it makes logical sense that his variants would be the same.

That said, hiding these cameos in this way is likely also intended to be something of a good-natured joke with the audience, playing on the theories that emerged before the movie’s release about who could play Deadpool variants by having the only unmasked variants be Dogpool and Nicepool – who is also played by Ryan Reynolds. The decision to keep some cameos more understated and subtle also adds rewatch value to the movie, which appears to be paying off for Deadpool & Wolverine given its already impressive box office takings.