Even when Marvel isn't there to cap off Comic-Con, they still sort of are. This year the big Hall H panel to end Saturday night was 20th Century Fox, who brought The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Fantastic Four, Deadpool, and X-Men: Apocalypse. It's the last two that fans were most eager for, and Fox did not disappoint.
The long-awaited Deadpool film has been in the works for years ever since the character was terribly-debuted in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. "Brought to you by the same people who inexplicably sewed my mouth shut the last time", said Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool in a hilarious opening tease. Ryan Reynolds came out to a roaring crowd, followed by director Tim Miller and stars Morena Baccarin, TJ Miller, Ed Skein, Brianna Hildebrand, and Gina Carano.
There was no better received trailer of the day then Deadpool. Period. Don't let anyone else tell you different. The footage showed everything Wade Wilson fans have long hoped for. We see Wilson pre-cancer alongside his girl, Vanessa aka Copycat (Baccarin); then his agreeing to be experimented on by the military and turned into an unstoppable weapon. From there the footage takes the irreverent, wise-cracking tone we expected, as set to the tune of Salt 'n Pepa's "Schoop" Deadpool lays waste to a squad of goons with a lethal series of acrobatic headshots, including one in which a single bullet takes out three foes. At one point he stops, smells the gunsmoke, and says right to us, "I'm going to touch myself tonight". Yeah, this is not a film for the kiddies. We also see Wilson's pal Weasel (Miller), an appearance by Blind Al (Leslie Uggams), plus mutants Colossus (Andre Tricoteux) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Hildebrand). The trailer received a standing ovation and a demand for an encore, which the audience got.
The X-Men: Apocalypse panel got off to a nostalgic start with video footage showing a much younger Hugh Jackman auditioning for the Wolverine role for the 1999 X-Men film. Then things got somber as Jackman came out to address the crowd, again confirming that The Wolverine 3 was his last time as the clawed mutant. As for that film, Jackman teased fans by saying "Old Man Logan, read into it what you want.", basically confirming the next movie would be a much older Wolverine based on the Mark Millar comic book.
Bryan Singer came out, introduced much of the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse, and suggested that Wolverine could still appear in the film, although Jackman didn't confirm any of it. After warning fans that it was all very early and unfinished, Singer introduced the first X-Men: Apocalypse footage. The story is set in 1983, and while many of the X-Men have moved on, including Magneto (Michael Fassbender) who is living a normal life, it all comes to an end when the godly mutant Apocalypse arrives. While the character has a number of powers, it's his power of persuasion that has convinced Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Angel (Ben Hardy) and Magneto to become his Four Horsemen. We also see a Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) struggling with her telepathic powers, Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) with his ruby quartz glasses, and Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) in his awesome armored suit. Oh, and it looks like Charles Xavier is finally going to lose that precious hair of his.
But that's not all, as the entire casts of Fantastic Four, Deadpool, and X-Men: Apocalypse came out for one giant group selfie with Stan Lee and Channing Tatum, who came out wearing a Gambit t-shirt. The solo Gambit movie that many have been dreading was also confirmed, with the first logo revealed!
Deadpool opens February 12th 2016, X-Men: Apocalypse on May 27th 2016.
