Deadpool with his hands in his mouth in Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine could have included a villain that has long been requested for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the biggest exploration of the multiverse to this day, Deadpool & Wolverine‘s cast is set to include several surprises. However, there is a major Marvel villain who will not be part of those, as the character was passed over in favor of making Cassandra Nova the main villain of Deadpool & Wolverine.

Speaking to Collider, Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy commented on how they considered using Mephisto as the villain of the MCU movie. The creatives commented on how Mephisto, who was heavily rumored to appear in WandaVision but never showed up, was the villain they flirted with for Deadpool & Wolverine‘s story before cracking it down. Ultimately, Cassandra Nova’s connection to Charles Xavier — and Wolverine through him — led to her being chosen. Check out the exchange below:

LEVY: What was the name of the villain we flirted with?

REYNOLDS: Mephisto.

LEVY: That’s who it was. We went through a lot of “almost” versions of this story before we landed. Frankly, it was the infamous call from Hugh, but then it was this idea of Cassandra Nova as a sibling to Charles because Cassandra’s link to Professor X creates an interesting dynamic and fascination in Cassandra about you [to Jackman].

How Mephisto Could Have Appeared In Deadpool & Wolverine

A Resurrection Could Have Been In The Cards

Mephisto surrounded by fire in Marvel Comics

Mephisto is a demon lord from Marvel Comics who rules a pocket dimension often referred to as Hell. The character could have been used in Deadpool & Wolverine to bring back a deceased player from the Fox X-Men movies or other projects. A possible name is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, who died in Logan. Deadpool could have gone to Mephisto upon learning of Logan’s death and made a deal to resurrect him.

Like what happened with Spider-Man in Marvel Comics’ One More Day, Deadpool & Wolverine could have had Mephisto steal Wade Wilson’s happiness. In that story, Peter Parker gives up his relationship with Mary Jane Watson so that Aunt May does not die. As Deadpool & Wolverine‘s trailers have revealed that Reynolds’ Wade and Morena Baccarin’s Vanessa are no longer together, maybe that was always the plan, with Mephisto taking their relationship and resurrecting Wolverine or someone else originally.

Another possible use of Mephisto could have been to give Deadpool a new romantic interest. In the comics, Deadpool and Lady Death have a long history. Deadpool & Wolverine could have followed Wade Wilson going to Hell and back several times as he died on multiverse missions in the real world, each time getting to see Death and Mephisto, who would take Thanos’ place in the dynamic the trio had in the comics, wanting Death for himself. With Mephisto rumored to be in Ironheart, maybe he will debut shortly after Deadpool & Wolverine.