The editors of Deadpool & Wolverine have weighed in on why a deleted scene featuring Gambit (Channing Tatum) was removed from the film.
The footage finds Gambit walking through Cassandra’s compound post-battle before a portal (coined as the Marvel Sparkle Circles) materalises behind him. The portal reflects in his eyes as he smiles knowingly beyond the camera, implying Gambit survived the Void. Similarly, a deleted scene featuring X-23 confirmed that she had survived the battle at the compound.
In a conversation with ScreenRant, Reid and Zimmerman shared insight into why the scene was removed. “A rhythm to the end credit sequence that we had [was] the Legacy reel [which] was a really important part of the process,” Reid said.
*whispers* Marvel Sparkle Circle #DeadpoolAndWolverine❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/TtuZ5jSAdL
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 27, 2024
The scene, Reid added, aligned with the “traditional Marvel coda” and the film sought to “subvert the audience’s expectations” by removing it.
A point of contention for the editors, the footage was frequently swapped in and out before being cut permanently. With support from Reynolds, the production devised new ways to utilise the deleted footage. Reynolds was lauded for his “brilliance” and “understanding of marketing and social media.”
