Marvel fans are convinced X-Men star just teased a Deadpool 3 cameo as he confirms Sonic 3 has finished filming

Marvel fans are convinced James Marsden is set to make a cameo in Deadpool 3, officially titled Deadpool & Wolverine, after the actor unexpectedly mentioned the movie while talking about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 recently.

During a new interview with The Playlist, Marsden confirmed that the third film – Sonic, we mean – had just finished filming, before bizarrely noting how close it shot to the Deadpool 3 production. When pressed on whether that meant he'd be reprising his role as mutant Scott Summers/Cyclops in the latter, he coyly replied: "Yeah, this is a little bit of a Pandora's box."

"Yeah, we just wrapped, actually. We were near the Deadpool stages actually," he'd said of Sonic 3. "I feel really proud of what we created, and the response from the fans, we just had to get the animation right on that first movie, but great family, all positive. Jim [Carrey]'s just having a ball, he's in his inspiration zone… So it's a joy to watch him have a good time, like really enjoying it again. It's great, very lucky to be a part of it, and I think fans are gonna be excited about all the new characters."

Although, when pressed later on if he'd have a Deadpool 3 cameo, Marsden was very tight-lipped. Fans noticed the slip though, with one writing in the comments: "James Marsden teases his return as Cyclops in Deadpool & Wolverine?" Another added: "God please I want James Marsden back even if it is 5 second cameo in Deadpool 3 in his iconic costume."

With Deadpool 3 geared up to welcome the titular Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially, and likely to make some kind of meta comment about Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the studio that previously owned the X-Men, Marsden showing up as Scott is certainly possible. Aaron Stanford, who played Pyro in the original live action X-Men trilogy, made an appearance in the trailer after all...

While the teaser gives little away in terms of plot, Pyro seems to be in some sort of dystopian, apocalyptic desert-scape. In scenes that boast a similar aesthetic, Deadpool can later be seen fighting TVA officers in front of a fallen 20th Century Fox sign. Given the Loki tie-ins and a possible Alioth glimpse, could this wasteland be the The Void? In Loki, all those who are pruned from the Sacred Timeline get sent there, which seems ripe for a joke about how Disney essentially wiped the slate clean when it nabbed the mutant movie rights and committed to only moving over certain, big-name characters into the MCU.

Deadpool & Wolverine releases on July 26, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is expected on December 20. For more, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way.

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.