Deadpool & Wolverine: How Does The Movie Connect With Loki? Explained

Does Deadpool & Wolverine take place after Loki?

After the finale of the Loki series on Marvel Multiverse, followers find the timeline difficult to grasp. The story begins in 2012 and 2023, with the Avengers traveling through time to gather Infinity Stones. The Time Variance Authority (TVA) has a distinct linear timeline that diverges from the Sacred Timeline. Characters like Mobius and Ouroboros exist before He Who Remains created the Sacred Timeline but after Loki and Sylvie reshaped the multiverse.

As an obsessed fan at Marvel Studios’ TVA, I used to hold the Marvel Multiverse in the highest regard, viewing it as a sacred timeline. But once Loki seized control from He Who Remains and manipulated the Temporal Loom, everything changed. The multiverse was no longer the same; it began anew with Loki’s actions in his series finale.

Despite being released prior to Loki in the real world, from the perspective of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), all X-Men films and both Deadpool movies occurred after Loki assumed power. A significant clue supporting this is the appearance of Wummi Mosaku’s character, Hunter B-15, who was last seen in the Loki series finale. Her current role resembles that of Judge Ravonna Renslayer from Season 1, and she now holds a position above Mister Paradox, as portrayed by Matthew McFayden. The TVA’s methods have changed since then; they no longer merely prune branch timelines, an practice that was abandoned once the multiverse was permitted to exist.

How does the TVA run after Loki?

In simpler terms, Deadpool and Wolverine’s background stories in the Marvel Multiverse are heavily impacted by Deadpool’s origin from Earth-100005. When Parox proposes rescuing Deadpool, but this mission isn’t approved by the TVA’s higher-ups, the idea of a “stabilizing character” or “anchor being” is introduced. In this context, Wolverine serves as the anchor for Earth-100005.

Logan’s passing led to the gradual disappearance of his multiverse branch, a process that Paradox estimated could last for millennia. To expedite the end of all universes, Paradox intends to employ his “Time Ripper” gadget. The connection among Loki, Deadpool, and Wolverine is emphasized visually when Cassandra Nova attempts to obliterate Earth-100005, triggering a catastrophic collapse of its entire timeline – a more drastic outcome compared to the pruning in the previous Loki episode.

As a devoted admirer of the multiverse, I can’t help but ponder over Paradox’s actions in Loki Season 2. From my perspective, his reason for causing destruction in Earth-100005 seems to be rooted in both ennui and a fondness for how He Who Remains once governed things. It’s true that I, too, acknowledge the sanctity of every timeline. Yet, Paradox wasn’t tasked with saving Earth-100005 but rather with monitoring its natural decay.

In simpler terms, the new TVA safeguards the Marvel Multiverse but permits alternate branches and realities to cease when their anchors are eliminated. The TVA seems to intervene solely when external forces endanger a particular reality.

Deadpool & Wolverine’s TVA isn’t meant to match Loki’s

In the comic Deadpool & Wolverine, five years after the present, Logan meets his demise. A more straightforward approach for preventing the destruction of Earth-100005 might involve Wade traveling back in time. Specifically, he could go four years earlier than the “Westchester Incident,” which led to Logan’s death and the X-Men’s downfall. By altering history at this point, Deadpool could potentially save his universe from its impending end.

The behavior of Wade in Deadpool and Wolverine could have diminished the enjoyment of the movie for some viewers. However, his experiences with Wolverine establish a thematic link to Loki, who doesn’t share Deadpool’s metatextual jests. In the final episode of the series, Loki embarks on a journey through time in an attempt to reverse events leading to the multiverse’s collapse. Both characters highlight the impossibility of having “second chances.”

As someone who has spent years immersed in storytelling, both as a consumer and a creator, I wholeheartedly believe that the actions of characters hold immense significance. Within the context of a narrative, their choices and development shape the plot and keep us engaged. But beyond the confines of a story, the impact of these flawed yet relatable figures extends far and wide.