“Deadpool & Wolverine” director debunks “Master and Commander” Easter egg, says they almost had the Titanic

Shawn Levy joins his stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on EW's "The Awardist" podcast.

Among the many Easter eggs in Deadpool & Wolverine, a certain seafaring vessel caught the attention of a few eagle-eyed viewers.

The wasteland setting of the Void is filled to the brim with various objects and set pieces from past Marvel and 20th Century Fox films, as part of an ongoing bit about how the Fox era ended when Disney absorbed the banner and rebranded it 20th Century Studios. A crumbled Fox logo is the most prominent example of something to be found in this particular environment.

In addition to a crashed helicarrier from the Avengers and Peter Quill's Milano space craft from Guardians of the Galaxy, a colonial ship can be seen in the background of one scene. Some presumed it was another such Easter egg, specifically that it could be Russell Crowe's ship from the Fox film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, however, confirms that's not the case.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly for The Awardist podcast, alongside stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Levy initially thought it might be a Master and Commander Easter egg, given how the visual effects team came up with many of the Easter eggs seen on screen in the final film.

"I think that the answer is yes," Levy begins.

"Also, the Titanic was one option, as well, and then it changed a few times," Reynolds adds.

"That's right. We were going to have the Titanic in it," Levy continues. "There are some Fox-centric Easter eggs. In fact, I think Nakatomi Tower [from Die Hard] is in there, as well as the CN Tower, weirdly. So, Canada wins!"

Following the podcast interview, Levy confirmed with EW, once he checked with the VFX department, that this particular ship "was a generic ship from their library" and not the one from Master and Commander. "Then we changed its color and made custom sails. So it’s a pure DP&W ship," the filmmaker writes over email.

"We talk about best idea wins," Levy says on the podcast. "We told the whole visual effects department...'We don't know everything there is to know about Easter eggs and references. Give us all your juicy ideas.'"

As it happens, 20th Century Studios is actively trying to make a Master and Commander prequel movie happen. Patrick Ness, the book author behind Chaos Walking and A Monster Calls, was reported in 2021 to be working on it.

"I’m trying so hard," 20th Century Studios head Steve Asbell told The Hollywood Reporter in a more recent interview. "It’s the first movie I worked on at Fox 20 years ago. We have a great script. It just needs the right director."

Listen to EW's full Awardist podcast episode with Reynolds, Levy, and Jackman as they discuss Deadpool & Wolverine, including the time they tried to get Nicolas Cage to return as Ghost Rider and how Marvel is now "obsessed" with Channing Tatum in the role of Gambit.