When Stray Kids dropped the music video for their ATE title track "Chk Chk Boom" on July 19, 2024, fans were more than delighted to see both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman having surprise cameos in their Deadpool and Wolverine gear — and, as it turns out, that wasn't the only Deadpool x Stray Kids crossover originally panned.
During a recent global press conference for Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds reportedly admitted his original plan was to have Stray Kids appear in the long-anticipated movie, but his orchestration ultimately failed due to burdens imposed by the Hollywood strikes and other scheduling conflicts.
"The initial plan was to have them appear in the film, but it was just the strike happening in the middle and some other issues, and just making it logistically impossible," Reynolds confirmed during the event, jokingly adding that he would "never forget the look on our line producer's face when I said that there are eight of them."
Though fans are already lamenting what could have been on X after the revelation, it looks like Reynolds and Jackman were adamant about making the Deadpool & Wolverine x Stray Kids crossover work either way — going as far as agreeing to appear in the "Chk Chk Boom" music video without getting Marvel's approval first.
In an interview conducted by Stray Kids members Bang Chan and Felix for Marvel Korea, Reynolds admitted that his "favorite thing" about the cameo was the fact that "Marvel has no idea," which made everyone gasp.
Aside from the cameo, Stray Kids were also announced as part of the official soundtrack for Deadpool & Wolverine on July 17, 2024.
"A Deadpool soundtrack is always unique. It's something that is so Ryan-based. His taste is all over the place," the movie's director, Shawn Levy, said during the same press conference. "Deadpool movies always have a soundtrack that makes no sense on paper because it's so diverse and disparate, but it just feels right in the room. And the soundtrack to this one, which includes our track from Stray Kids, is no different."
On July 23, the eight-member ensemble officially put out "Slash" as part of the movie's soundtrack, which you can listen to below:
