Marvel Studios’ monster hit “Deadpool & Wolverine” features several high-profile, crowd-pleasing cameos from characters, including some who made their big screen debut as superheroes before the Marvel Cinematic Universe started. Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/Human Torch; Jennifer Garner as Elektra Natchios; Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau/Gambit; Dafne Keen as Laura/X-23 and Wesley Snipes as Blade are among the big name guest stars.
Even with that star-studded roster, there’s one major “X-Men” star who fans really wanted to see make an appearance. Considering that the film was also a redemption story for Logan/Wolverine, we were all waiting to see Halle Berry back as Ororo Munroe/Storm. Turns out she was ready to go, but star/co-writer/producer Ryan Reynolds didn’t ask. The Oscar winner explained to Comicbook.com that she did speak to his wife, actress Blake Lively, about it, but not Deadpool himself.
“Blake asked me one time — I ran into her at a Marc Jacobs fashion show — and she said, ‘Would you ever be in my husband’s movie as Storm?’ I said, ‘Yeah, if he asked me,’ but he never asked me,” Berry said.
Here’s the thing: There could be a very simple theory why we didn’t see Storm return in the movie. All the cameos appear when Deadpool and Wolverine find themselves trapped in The Void — a place where forgotten characters are sent. Maybe when the creative team put the story together, Marvel Studios bosses told them Storm wasn’t quite forgotten yet.
Since we’ve already seen both Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart reprise their “X-Men” roles, it stands to reason that there are also variants of their teammates in the multiverse.
While the film ends with Elektra, Gambit and Blade being returned to their own universes, it definitely feels like we might be done with these characters. Perhaps the powers that be didn’t want to put that kind of finality on Berry’s Storm? Whatever the answer is, the fact that she wasn’t in the movie means there’s still hope that she can pop up in the MCU at some point.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is currently playing in theaters.