The new Deadpool & Wolverine trailer has arrived, and viewers are convinced they have spotted a familiar face from X-Men: First Class: Azazel.
While the first official trailer only contained teases of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, the new trailer finally explores Wolvie and Deadpool’s (Ryan Reynolds) dynamic and gives viewers a better idea of the plot. In the first trailer, it’s established that Deadpool’s time-traveling shenanigans in Deadpool 2 caught the attention of the Time Variance Authority. The agency recruits Deadpool to save the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the mercenary is in need of some help.
The second trailer reveals that he is trying to recruit a Wolverine variant to help him save the world. However, it will take some convincing, as this Wolverine variant seemingly failed to save his own timeline. The trailer also finally unveils the movie’s main villain, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). Viewers see that the evil twin sister of Charles Xavier has formed her base out of an enormous deceased Ant-Man variant’s corpse. Meanwhile, she might not be the only villain making use of the base.
Is Azazel in Deadpool & Wolverine?
It has not been officially confirmed that Azazel is appearing in Deadpool & Wolverine. However, eagle-eyed viewers are convinced they spotted him and Lady Deathstrike in the new trailer. At the 1:52 mark, standing near the staircase is a man in a dark suit with long dark hair. The man also appears to have Azazel’s trademark red skin.
Upon zooming in, it’s impossible to miss the telltale red skin, while the get-up, hair, and physique look strikingly similar to Azazel.
Azazel has already made his live-action debut on the big screen. He was portrayed by Jason Flemyng in X-Men: First Class, leading to speculation that Flemyng may be reprising his role for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Who is Azazel?
In X-Men: First Class, Azazel has a minor role as a member of the mutant terrorist group Hellfire Club. The group sought mutant supremacy and tried to recruit the X-Men to join them. Azazel and his fellow members tried to help their leader, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), enact a nuclear war. However, Shaw’s plans were foiled, and he was killed by Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender). Following the death of their leader, the former members of the Hellfire Club join Lehnsherr to form the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Unfortunately, in X-Men: Days of Future Past, it is revealed that Azazel died offscreen during a CIA task force strike dubbed Project WideAwake. Additionally, the film’s screenplay writer, Simon Kinberg, dropped a bombshell by revealing Aazal was actually Mystique’s father in the movie series. It was a bit of an odd retcon since Azazel was Mystique’s lover in the comics, not her father.
In the comics, Azazel is believed to be one of the oldest living mutants. He is a member of the ancient group of demonic-looking mutants called the Neyaphem. It’s unclear exactly how old Azazel is, but the Neyaphem were seemingly around in biblical times before being banished by the angelic-looking mutants known as the Cheyarafim. Azazel sought to free himself from banishment to the Brimstone Dimension and believed he could do so by creating a connection to Earth through his children. Hence, he tried to have many children with various women, including Mystique. For a long time, it was believed Nightcrawler was one of his children, until it was revealed that Mystique impregnated her lover, Irene Adler, while shape-shifting as Azazel.
Most of Azazel’s story arcs in the comics revolve around his attempts to escape the Brimstone Dimension. However, given that he is tied to the dimension, it’s difficult for him to spend long periods of time on Earth, which is fortunate given his desire to rule humanity and his vast knowledge of the dark arts. It’s believed his powers come from a combination of magic and his mutant heritage. His main ability is space-time manipulation, which allows him to teleport through space and temporarily freeze spacetime. He is also very long-lived and could even be immortal. Eventually, Azazel meets his demise at the hands of an alternate version of Nightcrawler known as the Bamf Dragon.
If that is Azazel in the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer, it will be quite interesting to learn what this variant of him is doing on a base with Nova and Lady Deathstrike. It’s exciting that the movie is seemingly bringing back so many X-Men characters, including those who were previously deceased. It makes one wonder how many more mutants are hiding in the movie.
(featured image: 20th Century Studios)
