A deliberate connection or just an ester egg?

New footage for Deadpool & Wolverine has hit the web, thanks to an IMAX exclusive trailer, which seemingly draws a connection to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. Set to be the next major leap in MCU’s multiversal saga, it’s safe to assume that the upcoming threequel will feature a plethora of cameos and homages to other Marvel properties under Disney’s umbrella.

While it’ll be interesting to see if Tobey Maguire will end up being one of the major Marvel stars to appear in Deadpool 3, the new trailer does seem to incorporate reference to his iconic trilogy.

Deadpool & Wolverine Seemingly Draw Connection to Spider-Man 2’s Joe’s Pizza

One footage from the new IMAX exclusive trailer that has been making rounds on the internet involves Hugh Jackman‘s Logan and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool bickering in a restaurant. While it’s easy to miss at first glance, upon further focusing on the menu behind them, one can read “Joe’s famous chili bowl” and “Joe’s easy omelet.”

For the unversed, during the opening of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, we see Peter Parker working as a delivery guy for Mr. Aziz’s Joe’s Pizza, which actually exists in New York. While the scene served as a way to showcase how being Spider-Man has affected his life, thanks to meme culture, Joe’s Pizza, and Parker’s line “Pizza time”, has garnered immense popularity in recent years.

A still from Spider-Man 2

While it can’t be said for sure if this is a deliberate connection to the Raimi films or just serves as an Easter egg, there are speculations surrounding Tobey Maguire‘s appearance in the threequel. After MyTimeToShineHellow reported that Deadpool 3‘s end credit is going to surprise fans, which was backed by Rob Liefeld, creator of Deadpool, many are convinced it might be OG web-head.

Ryan Reynolds Cracks a Meta Paul Rudd Joke in the IMAX Trailer

But apart from seeming easter eggs to the Raimi trilogy, the IMAX trailer also saw Ryan Reynolds cracking a meta-joke regarding Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. In the viral clip, Wolverine and Deadpool come across Ant-Man’s huge skull, which leads to Wade Wilson joking “Huh, Paul Rudd finally aged”.

This is an obvious nod to Rudd’s notorious case of not aging, even though he has entered his mid-50s. Considering Deadpool is notable for making such meta-remarks, fans can expect a plethora of jokes referencing real-life MCU figures from the upcoming threequel.

Paul Rudd as Ant-Man

Although the list of rumored returns in Deadpool 3 keeps on expanding as we move closer to its July release, Thanos actor Josh Brolin candidly clarified that he’ll not be among the returning names. While he had a lot of fun playing Cable in the previous films, the Dune star revealed that he wasn’t approached by Marvel to reprise his role.