This article contains major spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverineis certainly a box office hit and has earned positive reviews from fans and critics alike. WhileDeadpool & Wolverine’s big pitch was that Deadpool would be joining theMarvel Cinematic Universe, that is sort of a misdirect, as the film sees Deadpool and Wolverine saving the 20th Century Fox X-Men timeline and deciding to remain in that universe. The movie is rather self-contained, with audiences likely not seeing Deadpool again until the upcomingAvengers: DoomsdayorAvengers: Secret Wars, which will likely be a multiversal team-up.
Deadpool & Wolverinealso brought back avariety of charactersfrom the past pre-MCU movies, including Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Wesley Snipes' Blade, and Dafne Keen’s Laura/X-23, as well as giving Channing Tatum a chance to finally play Gambit after years of his solo film being in development hell before being scratched.Deadpool & Wolverinereveals that Laura returned to the mainX-Menfilm universe of Earth 10005, but the fates of Elektra, Blade, and Gambit are unknown. The assumption is they were returned to their universe. Yet with the Multiverse Saga featuring many different destroyed realities building up toAvengers: Secret Wars, Marvel Studios might have introduced a new potential franchise that could unite these heroes from other universes in a possible film based on an obscure Marvel Comic:The Exiles.
Who Are The Exiles in Marvel Comics?
The Exiles were created by writer Judd Winick and artist Mike McKone anddebuted in their own solo book,Exiles#1 in August 2001. The team consists of characters from different universes and realities of Marvel Comics. They are removed from their timelines in order to correct problems in the various alternate worlds and divergent timelines of the Marvel multiverse. The team is a revolving roster that replaces heroes when a team member is killed or returned to their home dimension. Notable team members include Nocture, the daughter of Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch in another reality, Spider-Man 2099, and evenfuture Kang variant Iron Lad.
The team had a number of alternate realityX-Men characters, including Morph, Blink, and Beak, so the comic is commonly associated with the X-Men. During the 2000s, Marvel Comics was more focused on a single streamlined universe with grounded event comics likeCivil War, World War Hulk,andSecret Invasion.Exilesallowed Marvel Comics to play around not only with alternate universe of characters with unique backstories but also pick up with dimensions from defunct storylinesMarvel wasn’t publishing anymore, likeMarvel 2099,Age of Apocalypse,New Universe, and theSquadron Supreme.
The most popular run on the team ran for 100 issues from 2001 to 2007. While Marvel has tried to relaunch the concept a few times, it has never taken off. Yet the idea of a team of heroes from different realities in the Marvel multiverse united to fix errors in timelines and dangers makes the Exiles the perfect concept for the Multiverse Saga, andDeadpool and Wolverinemight have introduced a great version of the team.
The Potential Exiles in the MCU
Deadpool & Wolverinemight have found their hook to bring the Exiles into the MCU by having actors return as pre-MCU versions of iconic characters, employed by the TVA’s Hunter B-15 to help deal with issues that have popped up in the multiverse. It already features three major potential characters:Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Wesley Snipes as Blade, and Channing Tatum as Gambit. Since the Exiles in the comics are commonly associated with an X-Men team, introducing them in an X-Men film likeDeadpool & Wolverineseems appropriate.
There are plenty of other potential characters that could round out the cast. The most obvious isSylvie fromLoki. The variant of Loki was last seen at the end of the Disney+ series, and she does not know what she would do following Loki’s sacrifice to save the sacred timeline. It would be appropriate for her to join a team of heroes looking to preserve the multiverse that Loki fought to save.
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Marvel could also consider Spider-Man, eitherTobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield’sversion of the character. While fans might want both of them to return, two similar characters on the team might feel too redundant. Yet including Spider-Man is a big question mark as it would require a deal with Sony Pictures to include Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, so that might be out of the question.They certainly would feel like appropriate picks for this multiversal team.
They could also have fun with the previous Fantastic Four film characters.Chris Evans already reprised his role as The Human Torch, so a representative from theFantastic Fourfilms would be nice to have on the team.Jessica Alba has expressed interest in reprisingher role as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman. The filmmakers could take a page from the Ultimate Universe comics where Susan Storm is Kang the Conqueror, allowing Alba to play a Kang version of The Invisible Woman and maybe giving closure to the Kang storyline that Marvel Studios seems to be closing the door on. While both Jamie Bell and Kata Mara joked about reprising their characters from 2015’sFantastic Fourin the franchise’s future, both would likely be welcome and should be given a second chance as Garner’s Elektra, Snipes' Blade, and Tatum’s Gambit were given.
What If…?also features plenty of Multiverse variants of heroes who could join this MCU Exilesand make the leap to live-action. Season 2 ended with Captain Carter accepting The Watcher’s offer to explore the Multiverse, and given thatAtwell already played a Captain Cartervariant inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, she likely would be willing to take on the part.What If…?also introduced a new hero, a young Mohawk woman named Kahhori, voiced by Devery Jacobs, who has become a fan-favorite and could make the leap to live-action.
The MCU Needs the Exiles Team
Marvel Studios is halfway through its Multiverse Saga, but it feels like they have barely scratched the surface. Despite the numerous jokes inDeadpool & Wolverineabouthow people are tired of the multiverse, it is worth noting that three of the most successful films areSpider-Man: No Way Home,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and nowDeadpool & Wolverine, all of which deal with the multiverse whileLokiremains the most viewed of the Marvel Disney+ series. It feels like there are so many corners of the multiverse that Marvel has yet to scratch, but a team likethe Exiles could be the perfect vehicle to lay the groundwork forAvengers: Doomsdayin 2026 or even the gap between that film and its sequel,Avengers: Secret Warsin 2027.
While some might say a big-budget feature film is the best option for this story, a Disney+ series might be more fitting. Each episode could see the Exiles visiting a different part of the MCU multiverse. That gives it a television structure that many of the Disney+ series have lacked, often feeling more like stretched-out movies.Exilescould also serve as a sequel series toLoki, the same way thatAgatha All Alongis a semi-sequeltoWandaVision, withExilesalso being a loose sequel toDeadpool & Wolverine.
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It also allows Marvel Studios to build off audiences' nostalgia for pre-MCU films. Audiences have responded warmly to Garner’s return as Elektra despite her films never being well received. It gives both the actress and the character a second chance, similar to howSpider-Man: No Way Homegave Andrew Garfield’s controversialThe Amazing Spider-Manseries a newfound appreciation. A Disney+ series featuring Garner’s Elektra and Snipes' Blade alongside Sylvie or Captain Carter certainly would draw in audiences. Audiences would like to see how the realities of past Marvel movie universes played out, like 2003’sHulk,where Jennifer Connolly’sBetty Ross becomes Red She-Hulk.
Finally,it gives Disney and Marvel Studios a real chance to be creative with the Multiverse. One of the significant criticisms ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswas that, despite the title and trailers teasing a wide array of universes, it primarily takes place in three universes that aren’t that different. AnExilesseries could revisit past Marvel movie universes to allow audiences to catch up with them and allow Marvel Studios to have fun and truly play around with different concepts. Have the Exiles visit a universe resembling the 1960s original Avengers universe with new actors in the classic hero roles, or visit a universe with Punisher Frankenstein and Captain Americaas a werewolf. The possibilities are endless, and The Exiles, following the path thatDeadpool & Wolverineintroduced, is what the MCU needs right now.Deadpool & Wolverineis currently showing in theaters.
