Deadpool's Confirmed 2026 Return Gets First Look & It's Perfect For The Marvel Hero

Deadpool is officially coming back in 2026, and the first look at the Marvel hero’s return connects with his perfect future. 2026 is quite the year for Marvel Studios, as Avengers: Doomsday brings back the MCU’s biggest franchise, serving as the first Avengers movie in the Multiverse Saga. The film will use the multiverse to bring in Fox’s original X-Men.

As such, there has been a lot of focus on the mutants, which is boosted by rumors that Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink could be playing the MCU’s Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If that ends up being true, then the upcoming MCU movies would take the biggest steps for the X-Men franchise since Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman broke box office records with 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine.

After leading a successful trilogy of Deadpool movies, there are reports that Reynolds could return as the Merc With a Mouth in December’s Avengers: Doomsday. Before that time comes, Marvel recently confirmed that fans will see another version of Deadpool, unrelated to Reynolds’, in a major X-Men release this year. While not part of the MCU, Deadpool’s use in the project is perfect for his live-action future.

Deadpool will be one of the many mutants from the comics who will appear in Marvel’s upcoming X-Men ’97 season 2. After a successful first season, the animated series is set to return to Disney+ with a new batch of episodes starting on July 1. The first trailer for X-Men ’97 season 2 teased the heroes’ time displacement, Apocalypse’s arrival, and showed Deadpool, with a twist.

Deadpool’s Small Role In X-Men ’97 Season 2 Is A Change For Marvel Fans

No, Deadpool is not going to show up in all his glory in X-Men ’97 season 2, but the anti-hero will be present in the new episodes through another character. Like he was used in the first season, Morph is once again set to shape-shift into other Marvel characters in X-Men ’97 season 2. One of those happens to be Deadpool, with the new footage from the upcoming Marvel series showing Morph’s version of Deadpool wielding dual katanas with a suit that uses the character’s traditional red and black color scheme.

In X-Men ’97 season 1, Morph turned into a whopping 16 Marvel characters, with some of them being the Hulk, Psylocke, Quicksilver, Juggernaut, Mister Fantastic, and more. All the characters were used briefly by the hero in battles, which means Morph should not be Deadpool for long. Deadpool’s small role in X-Men ’97 season 2 comes as a change of pace for Marvel fans after three live-action movies of a very prominent version of the character. While it is different, the move is fitting, as the actual X-Men team members deserve to shine, and Deadpool could steal their thunder.

Marvel’s X-Men Series Shows Deadpool’s Perfect Path In Avengers: Doomsday

Deadpool’s minor role in X-Men ’97 season 2 is interesting, as it will also help get the fans used to the path Reynolds wants to take the character. After all, the MCU star has said in multiple interviews that he sees Deadpool as a supporting player, rather than a lead moving forward, as it would be hard to break new ground with the anti-hero in a new solo movie. Reynolds has yet to be officially announced for the next Avengers movie, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, on August 15, 2025, Reynolds will return as Deadpool in Avengers: Doomsday.

However, there is one condition to his MCU return, as Deadpool will reportedly not join the Avengers in the 2026 Marvel movie. Having Deadpool in a smaller capacity might be best for the film, as there will already be many moving parts, with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom being reintroduced, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers re-entering the picture, and several superheroes from different universes showing up. Instead of commanding the screentime for his shenanigans, Deadpool‘s role in the movie should be more focused, helping keep the plot moving, and X-Men ’97 season prepares viewers for a new kind of Deadpool appearance.