Warning: This article contains spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Summary
Deadpool & Wolverinegives the original Fantastic Four movie team perhaps the most bleak ending theMCUmovie could have possibly summoned for the group. While the Fantastic Four have a celebrated comic history, their luck in the world of cinema has been decidedly more complicated. The 2005Fantastic Fourmovie was the first to release, and did so to lackluster reviews, with the film still currently having a 28% Rotten Tomatoes score - and the 2007 sequel only garnering a slightly better 38%.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s cameosbrought one major hero from these movies to the MCU story, offering the chance to extend the arc of this group past the point of the original two films. However, the direction the third Deadpool release takes this arc in leaves things on a much sadder seeming note than the original movies themselves, likely leaving some fans wishing the group had only been mentioned as one of the huge collection ofreferences and Easter eggs inDeadpool & Wolverine.
Deadpool & Wolverine Ending Explained
Deadpool & Wolverine’s ending is filled with multiversal stakes, insane cameos, and big teases for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Chris Evans Cameo Reveals A Tragic Ending For The Original Fantastic Four Team
Deadpool & Wolverine Ends The Original Fantastic Four Movie Team’s Story On A Dire Note
When audiences meetChris Evans' Johnny Storm inDeadpool & Wolverine, he provides an explanation of what the Void is, and explains a little about Cassandra Nova, the then-upcoming antagonist for the film. Importantly, when Johnny talks about the Void, he explains that his perspective on the location is informed by what he learned from his universe’s variant of Reed Richards, stating, “Reed called it a metaphysical junkyard”.
The Human Torch doesn’t get much time to allude to his team or what he believes has happened to them, as Cassandra Nova brutally kills him not long after that. However, this set up alone paints a grim picture for the team.
There are a range of possible scenarios for the overall fate of the family, and all are bad, asit seems either Johnny alone was sent to the Void and his family and team are likely searching for their now-dead missing member - potentially leading them to journey into the Void - or they were also sent to the Void when Johnny was, and have possibly also suffered awful fates given no other member of the group is seen. Whatever the case, things are definitely dire for the original Fantastic Four movie team, and even their best-case scenario appears pretty tragic.
Deadpool & Wolverine Post-Credits Scenes Explained
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Johnny Storm’s Deadpool & Wolverine Fate Makes The Original Fantastic Four’s Ending So Much Worse
Johnny Storm’s Brutal Death Makes The Group’s Ending Tragic
Deadpool & Wolverinequickly ends Chris Evans' story as Johnny Storm in the movie as quickly as it begins, with Pyro siphoning off his flames, and Cassandra Nova removing his skin instantaneously with her powers to kill him shortly after. First and foremost, this is extremely grim when looked at as the final moment audiences get to see the original Fantastic Four movie team, as it seems unlikely the group will appear again, especially now the biggest MCU star can’t be called upon to reprise his role once more due to the character’s death.
On a not dissimilar note,seeing that the generally optimistic end ofFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surferis conceptually followed by, at best, Johnny Storm disappearing from the world after being pruned and then dying without his family even knowing where he is feels dire. Indeed, if the worst case scenario is true for the group, then they may well all now be dead, which closes the franchise out some years later on a truly miserable final note.
Why The MCU Gave The Original Fantastic Four Team Such A Tragic Ending
WithThe Fantastic Four: First Stepspaving the way for a new on-screen iteration of Marvel’s First Family, it is more important than ever to close the book on the old version of the groupfor the sake of the new team. Since that closing of the proverbial book comes inDeadpool & Wolverine, it is perhaps inevitable this is a suitably gruesome ending, since Deadpool’s characteristic blend of hyperviolence and comedy tends to give characters a range of unpleasant final fates.
With all this in mind, giving this iteration of the Fantastic Four a tragic ending does make sense. However, it’s also a complicated last note to end any movie series on, especially after bringing a key character back to the movie landscape decades later only to flay his skin off and reduce him to a pile of organs. That said, the moment appears to be aDeadpool & Wolverinemovie highlight for many, so perhaps the grim legacy will help to cement the memory of this version of the team even as the MCU builds its own rendition.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Cast
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
