Deadpool 2's Best Comic Book Easter Eggs

WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Deadpool 2, in theaters now.

Fans are conditioned by this point to scour superhero movies for sly nods to to the comic book source material and clever cameos. That goes double for a character like Deadpool, whose fourth wall-breaking nature makes such references not only easier but that much more anticipated. If Deadpool 2 weren't packed full of Easter eggs, audiences would undoubtedly be disappointed.

So, it's lucky for everyone that the Fox sequel doesn't hold back, with callouts to comic book characters, creators and even a location. We breakdown the best below.

X-Men

One of the biggest surprises of the movie was a split-second cameo by the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse, which occurs while Wade and Colossus are walking through the halls of the X-Mansion. The camera peers into a room off the main corridor, and we see Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Professor X (James McAvoy), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), Storm (Alexandra Shipp) and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee). The really eagle-eyed will notice Quicksilver is even wearing his trademark rock T-shirt; this time it’s Nirvana.

Headpool

At the beginning of the movie, Deadpool tries to commit suicide by igniting a half-dozen barrels of kerosene. The explosion sends his arms, a Croc, a handgun, his utility belt and then his head all careening toward the camera. As Wilson’s melon passes, it's still talking in what would appear to be a nod to Headpool.

There are dozens of alternate-reality versions of Deadpool in the Marvel Universe, but one of the most popular is the Deadpool from Earth-2149, the world from the Marvel Zombies series. While its Deadpool gets decapitated, his disembodied noggin escapes to Marvel’s mainstream universe, and through a convoluted sequence of events ends up joining Wade’s Deadpool Corps. Headpool commonly sports a propeller beanie, which actually transports him.

Lady Deadpool

Another popular parallel-reality Deadpool is Wanda Wilson, aka Lady Deadpool, wlooks just like Wade except that she has a shock of blonde hair sprouting from the back of her mask. We're pretty sure this character gets a nod when Deadpool is stripping in a bar in Biloxi near the start of the film. He's in his suit, but is wearing a wig over the mask. Of course, it would make more sense, even with his scarring, to have his mask off if he were trying to be believable as a woman. Instead we get a look that seems to be some fun fan service.

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Firefist

It had already been established before Deadpool 2 hit theaters that Julian Denison was playing Russell “Rusty” Collins, aka Firefist. However, it’s worth pointing out that while this character has been a hero for most of his comic book history, he has also found himself on the side of the villains on occasion.

Rusty was brainwashed into becoming a member of the Mutant Liberation Front when the villainous Stryfe and his terrorist group broke the young mutant out of prison. He was then rescued from that scenario by X-Force. Yet it was Magneto who “cured” him of Stryfe’s influence, and so he willing joined the Master of Magnetism's extremist Acolytes. The point is, yes, there are precedents of him being the “bad” in the comics.

Tacos

Wade’s love of Mexican food in the comics is well known. In fact, on the cover of Deadpool Kills Deadpool #2, one alternate-reality version of Deadpool has a chimichanga stand. He used to be all about the chimichangas early on, but in recent years his preference has been tacos. He even named a French bulldog he saved and gave to his daughter Taco Dog.

This aspect of his persona has not really been played up in live-action yet, but we get two nods in this sequel. When Russell and Wade are being led to their cell in the Icebox, Deadpool turns to the guards and says, “Another disgusting mutant off the streets. God bless America. Let’s get a taco.” Wade receives a baton to the gut in response. Also, just before the final fight at Essex House, Pool announces to no-one in particular, "Time to make the chimichangas."

Mojoworld

When Shatterstar is being interviewed by Wade and Weasel, he states he’s from Mojoworld. In the comics, this planet is in a pocket dimension that exists outside of what we understand as “time.” Introduced in 1985's Longshot #1, this realm is controlled by a twisted being named Mojo, and the alien race he belongs to, the Spineless Ones. Their culture is obsessed with competitive reality television, a la Schwarzenegger's classic sci-fi flick The Running Man.

Shoutouts to the Writers

When Deadpool is going on about Domino’s luck power being dumb and not very cinematic, he says her ability “sounds like a power created by someone who can’t draw feet.” That's an allusion to Wade’s co-creator Rob Liefeld, who's been criticized over the years for drawing characters with unrealistic proportions, and ... for being unable to draw feet.

Then, when Cable interrogates Weasel to find out what route the convoy carrying Russell is taking, Wade’s right-hand man reveals it will go down the Gerry Duggan Parkway. Duggan just finished an acclaimed run on Deadpool that began in 2013. Other than creators Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, he is probably the name most associated with Wade Wilson these days. Sorry, Joe Kelly.

The Obligatory Stan Lee Cameo

Stan Lee memorably appeared in 2016's Deadpool as the DJ in a strip club, but his cameo in the sequel is more difficult to spot: He shows up as a mural on the side of a building on the convoy route. We would love to know which artist is behind the huge tribute.

Juggernaut

When Deadpool first sees Juggernaut, he rattles off his three favorite comic appearances of this iconic X-Men adversary: Uncanny X-Men #183, Thor #411 and X-Men Unlimited #12. In Uncanny X-Men #183, Colossus gets in a fight with Cain Marko, aka the Juggernaut, who emerges victorious. In Thor #411, the Juggernaut battles Thor and serves him a beatdown too. Granted, it is the Eric Masterson version of Thor. In X-Men Unlimited #12, we get a recap of Cain’s origin and his connection to the demon Cyttorak. We'll also point out that Juggernaut's armor in the film seems to take some design influence from his Ultimate look.

Teleporter

In the comics Deadpool regularly utilizes a teleporter and refers to the act of being transported through time and space as bodysliding. In this film, Deadpool uses a similar term: time-sliding. Either X-Force or Deadpool 3 is likely to adapt more of Cable and Deadpool’s time-traveling shenanigans from the comics.

Directed by David Leitch, Deadpool 2 stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Stefan Kapičić as the voice of Colossus, and Karan Soni as Dopinder, with newcomers Zazie Beetz as Domino, Josh Brolin as Cable and Julian Dennison as Russell. The film is playing in theaters everywhere.