Ryan Reynolds appears to have ignited considerable speculation among Marvel enthusiasts through a single mysterious Instagram posting.
Reynolds recently published an image featuring the recognizable Avengers emblem, modified with a red "A" graffitied across it. The aesthetic perfectly matches Deadpool's characteristic style. No accompanying text. No explanatory context. Simply sufficient content to trigger widespread MCU fan theorizing.
Avengers: Doomsday targets theatrical release on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on December 17, 2027. Marvel announced the Doomsday ensemble earlier this year, featuring numerous returning superheroes, yet no official confirmation regarding Deadpool's participation has emerged... until potentially now.
This tease becomes particularly intriguing considering Reynolds' recent dismissal of Avengers membership possibilities. When questioned about Deadpool and Wolverine's potential Doomsday or Secret Wars appearances, he maintained ambiguity, claiming no available updates.
However, during previous discussions, Reynolds articulated his perspective on Deadpool's team dynamics quite clearly:
"No updates exist currently, but I completely trust Kevin and Lou D'Esposito [filmmaker and Marvel executive producer]. The character quality I most appreciate about Deadpool is his fanboy nature.
"His excitement and desire for team membership genuinely appeals to me. It represents his overarching wish-fulfillment narrative. However, I believe he shouldn't become an Avenger or X-Man. If he achieves either status, we've reached the conclusion."
Just when this seemed like definitive rejection, Reynolds clarified:
"Precisely the opposite! Deadpool functions exceptionally well alongside X-Men and Avengers, but must perpetually remain an outsider."
Reynolds elaborated on the Merc with a Mouth's psychological complexity:
"His ultimate aspiration involves acceptance and appreciation. Yet he cannot achieve acceptance.
"His defensive mechanism of deflecting shame through humor operates only when masking his numerous shortcomings."
Should Deadpool appear within the Avengers roster, expect neither prolonged cooperation nor official membership acquisition. Currently, that Instagram post represents our sole evidence, but given the MCU's continuous character interconnection, his film participation remains highly plausible.