Deadpool & Wolverine is all the rage, with the MCU film proving to be a return to form for the long-running franchise. Given the meta-nature of Deadpool as a character, the film inarguably features some of the most hilarious cross-franchise references and jokes.
One of the film’s best moments comes right near the end, and it serves as a reference to the Star Trek franchise, particularly one iconic scene that was redone in Star Trek: Into the Darkness. As a result, fans must be curious to find out why the moment holds significance, and here is everything you need to know.
Deadpool & Wolverine References an Iconic Star Trek Movie Scene
Deadpool & Wolverine was recently released in theaters and impressed critics and fans alike, leading to box office success. The film marks Ryan Reynolds‘ MCU debut, with Hugh Jackman also reprising his role as Wolverine.
During the film’s climax, Deadpool makes the ultimate sacrifice, as he bids farewell to Wolverine. The scene is reminiscent of the climatic moment from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which sees Spock similarly sacrificing himself by entering a radiation chamber.
The scene sees Spock doing the Vulcan sign as a farewell to Captain Kirk from behind a glass door as he perishes. Deadpool references this exact moment as he too makes the Vulcan sign while pondering whether he is Spock or Kirk in this situation.
Deadpool & Wolverine Improved the Scene From Star Trek: Into the Darkness
The aforementioned scene remains one of the most emotional moments from the Star Trek franchise, and Deadpool riffs on it to a similar effect. However, the iconic scene was also redone for the climax of 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, which takes place in the sci-fi franchise’s rebooted Kelvin timeline.
In the film, MCU veteran Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the villainous Khan, with several plot points borrowed from Star Trek II. During its climax, Spock and Kirk face a similar situation with Captain Kirk, played by Chirs Pine entering the radiation chamber to save the day.
Star Trek Into Darkness flipped the ending scene from the original, and Deadpool hilariously references this change by pondering whether he is Spock or Kirk in the situation where he is about to die.
Of course, neither of the characters would remain dead, with Deadpool himself dying and being revived once already in Deadpool 2. However, in Star Trek Into Darkness, the farewell scene is a simple flip of the original since the characters and the conflict are essentially the same.
On the other hand, Deadpool & Wolverine improves the iconic Star Trek scene because of the context behind Deadpool sacrificing himself instead of Wolverine, who wants to redeem himself for his past failures. Hence, it is easy to understand why the film is more emotionally resonant.
Deadpool & Wolverine is playing in theaters worldwide.
