Spoiler warning. This article covers the full plot and ending of Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).
Deadpool & Wolverine, the movie everyone called Deadpool 3, takes place in Deadpool’s own universe, the old Fox X-Men world, which the Time Variance Authority labels Earth-10005. It picks up six years after Deadpool 2 and after Wolverine’s death in Logan, and it ties that universe to the Marvel Cinematic Universe through the TVA from the Loki series.
Where Deadpool & Wolverine fits in the timeline
Directed by Shawn Levy and released in US theaters on July 26, 2024, the film belongs to the MCU’s Phase Five and is the first R-rated MCU movie. Yet for most of its 128 minutes it stays in a different universe from the Avengers. That is the core of the Deadpool 3 timeline explained in short, a Fox world running on MCU rules.
The opening moves in two steps.
- In 2018, after Deadpool 2, Wade Wilson uses Cable’s time device to save Vanessa, then hops to the main MCU timeline to try out for the Avengers. Happy Hogan turns him down and he goes home.
- Six years later, Wade has retired, split from Vanessa and sells used cars in his own universe, Earth-10005, when the TVA picks him up.
So in Fox terms the movie comes after Deadpool 2, and in MCU terms it runs in the post-Endgame era, with the Sacred Timeline and the multiverse already established by Loki. In the film, the main MCU timeline is referred to as Earth-616.
One wrinkle fans like to point out is that Logan is set in 2029, while Deadpool & Wolverine takes place around 2024 and still treats Logan’s death as something that already happened. The film doesn’t try to square this, which fits the Fox X-Men series, whose own continuity was famously loose. Treat the Fox films as loosely connected rather than a precise calendar.
The Sacred Timeline, the TVA and anchor beings
The Time Variance Authority comes from the Disney+ series Loki (2021 to 2023). It is a bureaucracy that sits outside time and monitors reality. In Loki season 1, its job is to protect a single Sacred Timeline by pruning any branches. By the end of season 2, Loki takes his place at the heart of time so the branching timelines can survive, and the TVA’s role shifts toward watching over the multiverse.
Deadpool & Wolverine adds a new rule, which is that every universe has an anchor being, a person so central that their death sets the whole timeline on a slow path to collapse. For Earth-10005, that anchor was Logan, and his death in Logan started a decay that would naturally play out over a very long time.
Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), a TVA agent chasing a promotion, doesn’t want to wait. He plans to use a device called the Time Ripper to wipe out Earth-10005 quickly, and he offers Wade a spot on the Sacred Timeline if he leaves his friends behind. Wade refuses and goes looking for a replacement Wolverine instead.
Which Wolverine is this?
Wade first digs up his own universe’s Logan, hoping to bring him back. That fails. He then jumps through other universes and ends up with a Logan variant, played again by Hugh Jackman, who failed the people he was meant to protect. In his world the X-Men were killed by humans, and he took bloody revenge afterward. The film calls him the worst Wolverine.
That choice matters for the timeline in two ways. It means the Logan who died in Logan stays dead, so the film doesn’t undo that ending. And it gives this variant a reason to stay, a second chance to be the hero in Wade’s world that he never was in his own.
The Void and the Fox cameos
When the TVA rejects the variant as a stand-in anchor, Paradox banishes both heroes to the Void, the wasteland at the end of time first seen in Loki season 1, still haunted by the cloud monster Alioth. It is where the TVA dumps what it prunes, which gives the film its excuse to bring back characters from Fox-era Marvel movies. These are the ones who turn up.
- Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), Charles Xavier’s twin sister and ruler of the Void
- Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), from Fox’s Fantastic Four films
- Elektra (Jennifer Garner), from Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005)
- Blade (Wesley Snipes), from the Blade trilogy
- Laura, also known as X-23 (Dafne Keen), from Logan
- Gambit (Channing Tatum), a nod to the Gambit movie that was planned but never made
You don’t need to have seen these older films to follow the story, but they explain why many fans see the movie as a farewell to the Fox era of Marvel.
What to watch before Deadpool & Wolverine
To put the Deadpool 3 timeline explained above into practice, here is the release order of everything that feeds into the story, with where each title sits in the timeline and how essential it is.
| Title | Released | Runtime | Where it sits in the story | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-Men Origins Wolverine | 2009 | 107 min | Fox past; Wade Wilson’s first, much-mocked version | Skippable |
| Deadpool | 2016 | 108 min | Earth-10005; Wade becomes Deadpool | Essential |
| Logan | 2017 | 137 min | Set in 2029; Logan’s death, Laura’s debut | Essential |
| Deadpool 2 | 2018 | 119 min | Earth-10005; Cable and his time device | Essential |
| Loki season 1 | 2021 | 6 episodes | Outside time; the TVA, Sacred Timeline, the Void | Recommended |
| Loki season 2 | 2023 | 6 episodes | Outside time; the multiverse is allowed to branch | Optional |
| Deadpool & Wolverine | 2024 | 128 min | 2018, then six years later on Earth-10005 | Main event |
Recommended watch order
- The short route is Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Logan, then Deadpool & Wolverine.
- The full route adds Loki season 1 before the movie for the TVA and the Void, and season 2 if you want the multiverse backstory.
- For a bonus round, the earlier X-Men films, Fantastic Four (2005), Daredevil, Elektra and Blade make the cameos land harder, but they’re not required.
What the ending sets up
Cassandra Nova takes the Time Ripper for herself and plans to erase every timeline but the Void. Wade and Logan destroy the machine together, absorbing its backlash, which kills Cassandra and spares them. Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) then arrests Paradox, confirms that Earth-10005 is no longer dying, and lets the variant Logan stay. In effect, he becomes the universe’s new anchor.
The film closes on Wade’s friends gathered together, with Logan pushing him to reconcile with Vanessa. Marvel Studios has framed the movie as the start of mutants’ bigger role in the MCU, so check Marvel’s official announcements for where Deadpool turns up next.
Deadpool & Wolverine has streamed on Disney+ since November 12, 2024. As of October 2026 that remains its streaming home, and it can also be rented or bought on major digital stores; availability varies by region.
FAQ
Is Deadpool & Wolverine part of the MCU?
Yes. It is part of the MCU’s Phase Five. Most of the story happens on Earth-10005, the Fox X-Men universe, but the TVA connects it to the main MCU timeline.
Do I need to watch Loki before Deadpool & Wolverine?
No, the film explains the TVA, the Void and anchor beings well enough. Loki season 1 adds context, especially for the Void and Alioth.
Is the Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine the one from Logan?
No. The Logan from Logan stays dead. Wade recruits a variant from another universe whose X-Men were killed, and that variant stays on Earth-10005 at the end.
What is an anchor being in Deadpool & Wolverine?
It is a person so central to their universe that their death starts a slow collapse of the whole timeline. Logan was Earth-10005’s anchor, which is why his death puts Wade’s world in danger.
Where can I watch Deadpool & Wolverine?
It has streamed on Disney+ since November 12, 2024, and it is available to rent or buy on major digital stores. Catalogs change by region, so check the Disney+ app for your country.
