We finally got a glimpse of what we now know to be Deadpool & Wolverine, the multiversal marquee release of 2024 for Marvel Studios, and one that’s wasting no time in embracing its status as the chosen one to course-correct the MCU in a big way.
And of all the Marvel newcomers in the mix (who, it bears reminding, are far outnumbered by the legacy figures), it’s perhaps Matthew Macfadyen (a.k.a. Succession’s Tom Wambsgans) who’s drumming up the most excitement as of right now. That might change once we get a better look at Emma Corrin’s villain, but the Succession star is a major get for the franchise, and it will be fascinating to see how the comics’ history of his character, Mr. Paradox, ends up manifesting in Deadpool & Wolverine and beyond.
So, what exactly is the deal with Mr. Paradox?
Who is Paradox in the MCU?
By the looks of Deadpool & Wolverine, Mr. Paradox is a TVA agent overseeing the case of Wade Wilson, similar to the capacity in which Mobius tackled Loki’s case.
This statement alone raises a few questions; Paradox’s TVA ranking must be fairly high for him to be trusted with a character as mercurial as Deadpool, and if that’s the case, why has it taken this long for us to learn of his existence?
In any case, Marvel probably wouldn’t have roped an actor of Macfadyen’s prestige into the mix if Paradox’s screentime wasn’t very significant, so exactly what his intentions are and how he’ll evolve over the course of the plot through to the rest of the franchise will surely be an important point of intrigue for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Who is Paradox in the comics?
In the comics, Paradox’s involvement with the TVA is slightly different and far less involved, serving as a judge for the organization rather than an agent. Mobius and Ouroboros were also both judges in the comics before making a jump from the armchair to the field in the MCU, so it’s no surprise that Paradox has followed a similar pattern here.
Interestingly, one of the cases Paradox presided over in the comics was that of She-Hulk, who, of course, shares Deadpool’s fourth-wall-breaking tendencies, and who almost met her end at the hands of Paradox’s ruling.
Whether or not this could allude to any vile plans that the MCU’s Paradox has in store for Deadpool is anyone’s guess. And while it’s probably safe to just assume that Paradox is being given the Mobius and Ouroboros treatment with no additional significance, it also might not be a coincidence that the character has a bristly comics history with Marvel’s meta heroes.
(featured image: Marvel Studios)
