Deadpool & Wolverine’s numerous Easter eggs include a nod to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man that explains his MCU fate. As the film is the first official project of the Fox Marvel characters in the canon MCU, the studio did not hold back on the references. Even if they are functioning in their own timeline and not the Sacred Timeline of Earth-616 just yet, subtle nods to the MCU throughout the film make Deadpool and Wolverine feel right at home in Marvel’s Multiverse Saga.

The biggest gold mine of MCU Easter eggs is Happy Hogan’s office in the Avengers Compound. Plenty of memorabilia from past MCU films surrounds Wade while he’s interviewing for a position on the Avengers. Captain America’s prototype shield from Iron Man 2 and Tony Stark’s arc reactor last seen at his funeral in Avengers: Endgame are just some of the notable props shown. However, one item shown actually reveals a lot about the current state of the MCU.

6Deadpool & Wolverine Easter Egg References Tom Holland’s Spider-Man

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Doesn’t Actually Appear In The Film

At one point during Wade’s interview, a photo of Tony Stark with his arm around someone is shown. It is clearly the same photo that Tony looked at in Endgame when he reminisces about his relationship with Peter Parker, and the photo is the catalyst that convinces Tony to research time travel and rejoin the Avengers’ fight. However, Peter is blocked by another item on Happy’s shelf. The photo could just be seen as another fun Easter egg, but the fact that Peter is obscured from view says a lot about his current situation in the MCU.

It’d seem out of character for Happy to block Peter out, but it makes sense after the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home. As the only way to stop the multiversal beings from invading, Peter has Doctor Strange cast a spell that wipes the universe’s memory of him. Happy and Peter’s new relationship is shown at the end of No Way Home, as Happy sees Peter as nothing more than a stranger while at Aunt May’s grave. It’s a tragic fate for Peter, and Deadpool & Wolverine is the first project that shows the greater consequences of the spell.

Doctor Strange’s Spell May Have Transcended Time

One question that Deadpool & Wolverine does raise with its Spider-Man Easter egg is the exact timeline of events. The scene of Wade in Happy’s Earth-616 office takes place in 2018, while the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home take place in 2024. Even years before the memory wipe spell was cast, Peter is still seemingly forgotten by Happy. The specifications of Doctor Strange’s spell have yet to be fully explained in the MCU, and Deadpool & Wolverine proved that some lines are still blurred.

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The Easter egg in Happy’s office infers that Doctor Strange not only erased the universe’s memory of Peter going forward from the events of No Way Home, but that he actually erased memories from across time. Fans have theorized that Peter could get his life back by simply traveling back in time, but Deadpool & Wolverine has all but debunked that possibility. There’s no point in Peter time traveling if it meant that the people closest to him like MJ, Ned, and Happy still wouldn’t remember him.

Deadpool & Wolverine’s Other Spider-Man Reference Explained

The Fun Bit Is The Epitome Of Deadpool And Wolverine’s Relationship

While driving to their next location, Deadpool makes a web-shooting hand motion while making a similar sound effect to the one Spider-Man’s web shooters make. It was likely just a fun bit suggested by Ryan Reynolds as an additional Easter egg, and Deadpool is successfully able to annoy Wolverine with his childish antics. However, the moment could also be a reference to Deadpool and Spider-Man’s iconic comic team-up. The two have worked together plenty of times, and though their friendship has had its ups and downs, they are a strong duo.

Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and director Shawn Levy have all talked about wanting to work with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and make a Deadpool and Spider-Man crossover. Though the moment in Deadpool & Wolverine was probably nothing more than a fun reference that shouldn’t be looked into too deeply, it is heartening to know that there is a possibility of such a project in the future. Holland’s Peter Parker doesn’t even make a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, but the film was still able to provide insight into his current MCU fate.