Here's why fans and Swifties think the pop star is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has a history of generating casting rumors, and the latest one that's set online abuzz is centered around Taylor Swift potentially appearing in Deadpool 3 as the mutant Dazzler.
Although there’s been no official confirmation, the excitement kicked into high gear when Swift was seen in the company of Deadpool 3 stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman and director Shawn Levy at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the New York Jets game earlier this month.
"She’s with the whole Deadpool 3 team. Taylor Swift as Dazzler seemingly confirmed," wrote a user on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Speculation that Swift will play Dazzler isn't new as fans have been convinced of this theory for over a year.
In September 2022, speculation about Swift's involvement in Deadpool 3 gained significant traction when Reynolds unveiled the movie's announcement teaser. Observant fans noted that the teaser was shot in the same house where Swift had filmed All Too Well: The Short Film, a part of her rerecorded album, Red (Taylor’s Version), released in November 2021.
Fans pointed out that the furniture, including the distinctive couch with a bookshelf and staircase in the background, the wallpaper, and the refrigerator, bore a striking resemblance to the items featured in Swift's music video. Adding to the intrigue, Swift has maintained a close friendship with Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, who even directed Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me" music video.
In November 2022, approximately a month later, Reynolds addressed the theory in an exclusive interview with ET, where he was quick to shoot that theory down.
"If we shoot the next Deadpool film in our house, then that would be that location," Reynolds joked to ET.
Whether the moment was meant to be an Easter egg, Reynolds confirmed that he'd "of course" be down to have Swift appear in the upcoming movie.
"Are you kidding me?" he questioned. "I would do anything for that woman. She's a genius."
In September 2023, after the release of the announcement video for Deadpool 3 and Reynolds' interview, a flurry of unverified reports started to circulate, suggesting that Swift might take on the role of Dazzler. This speculation was accompanied by fan-created art.
When asked about various casting rumors, such as Jennifer Garner as Elektra and Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth, Levy intriguingly hinted that, while he preferred not to confirm or deny any specific casting choices, some of the rumors held some truth, though not all of them.
Levy stated to Entertainment Weekly, "I'd rather not comment on that, but I will say this: the rumors about actors, singers, and sports stars supposedly joining Deadpool 3 are fantastic. If I relied solely on the internet, I'd have the most incredible cast ever assembled in cinematic history. So, I'll simply say that some of those rumors are accurate, and some are not."
And on Thursday, Swift reportedly joined Reynolds, Lively, Jackman and Levy at Bradley Cooper's home.
"They sure are loud," Levy, the film's director, recently told The Wrap of Swift's fans. "I’m going across the board. 'No comment' because that’s a double whammy. That’s Taylor-related. And it’s MCU-related. I’m no dummy. You’re going to have to wait and see."
Dazzler was most recently played by Halston Sage in Dark Phoenix and was previously voiced by Alexandra Stoddart in X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men.
As of now, Deadpool 3 remains on hold due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
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