Juggernaut cameo: How Deadpool 2 revives comic history long ignored by the X-Men arc
The best thing about the potty-mouthed Deadpool, who has a nasty habit of breaking the fourth wall to slip in an aside or two, is that he doesn't take himself seriously. So much so that, throughout the latest blockbuster Deadpool 2, the anti-hero continuously hopped through different cinematic universes, using every opportunity to crack one-liners or take friendly jab at the X-Men arc.
After all, Wolverine and other X-Men have been at the receiving end of wisecracks in the Deadpool universe for quite some time now. Perhaps this is the reason that the recently released second installment in the franchise was able to touch upon a well-established comic book reference – something that ties two popular characters, Juggernaut and Professor X together.
For the uninitiated, Cain Marko aka Juggernaut, who happens to be one of the oldest enemies of the X-Men, is actually the stepbrother of the mutant leader Charles Xavier.
Having grown up in the shadows of his abusive father, Cain becomes acutely aware of his step-brother's powers and eventually grows jealous of him. There's a lot of bullying involved and, ultimately, a young Charles is left with no other alternative than to use his psychic abilities as a defense, which further aggravates the hostile feelings harbored by Cain.
However, after an accidental exposure to the energy of the Crystal of Cyttorak, Cain assumes enormous physical powers as the Juggernaut.
Considering Juggernaut's origin story, it only made sense that Juggernaut appeared in the X-Men film The Last Stand. Despite the intrigue associated with the villain, though, the X-Men movie never made the connection between him and Professor X clear.
Deadpool 2, on the other hand, used a sly passing reference, to establish the relationship, giving a nod to the character's comic book origins in the process.
In the scene where Russell and Juggernaut talked about the latter's helmet, the young mutant asked if he wears the helmet because his "brother tries to read your mind," Juggernaut replies with a simple yes, adding that the two are now even as Professor X is in a wheelchair.
Deadpool 2 is playing in the theaters.