New Deadpool 3 footage sees Thor crying over a dead Wade Wilson, and potentially sets up a big Loki retcon

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"Why is the Sacred Timeline being saved...? We just had two seasons on why that is a terrible idea"

Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson in Deadpool and Wolverine
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Loki seasons 1 and 2. Proceed with caution if you've not yet caught up with the Disney Plus series.

Deadpool 3 is out in just a few months' time and yet the meta Marvel movie's plot is still pretty much a secret. Thanks to its first teaser, though, we do know it'll see the titular Wade Wilson team up with the TVA – and transition into a bonafide Avengers-type hero, maybe – and that there'll be cameos. Cyclops and Pyro, anyone?

The film's latest promo, which was shown exclusively to CinemaCon 2024 attendees, doubles down on the above, with a surprise Thor appearance and a scene that sees Matthew Macfadyen's Mr. Paradox explaining to Wade (Ryan Reynolds) that he needs his help saving the Sacred Timeline. The latter though, which was revealed by the likes of Screen Rant and The Direct, has left fans of the Loki TV series a bit confused...

If you've watched Loki, you'll know that the Sacred Timeline was destroyed when Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) killed He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in the season 1 finale. Season 2 of the Disney Plus show subsequently revolved around Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his pals trying to find a way to stop the broken timeline from destroying... well, everything. 

All of their attempts fail, leaving only one option: Loki sacrificing himself and using his magic to tether the branched timeline streams together... forevermore. The former villain does just that, and we see the likes of Sylvie, O.B. (Ke Huy Quan), and Mobius (Owen Wilson) living out their lives free from the TVA's meddling, and sometimes menacing, interference. (Oh yeah, did we forget to mention that those on the Sacred Timeline didn't technically have free will, due to a strict script decided upon by TVA agents?)

Naturally, then, viewers are worried that if Deadpool does in fact "save the Sacred Timeline", it'll retcon Loki's selfless act, and possibly even render the entire series pointless. 

Elsewhere in the behind-closed-doors trailer, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is glimpsed crying over Deadpool's dead body, in repurposed footage from Avengers: Infinity War. In the original clip, Thor is mourning his brother Loki after Thanos kills him. 

"That happens in the distant future," assures Paradox, which suggests it's merely a joke, but given the Sacred Timeline stuff, does Deadpool replacing Loki hold more significance? Fortunately we don't have too much longer to wait...

Deadpool and Wolverine lands in UK cinemas on July 25, and in the US a day later. For more, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way, as well as our guide to how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Amy West
Amy West
Entertainment Writer

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.