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| “ | It means I have been tasked with overseeing the end of your universe. Regardless of what the pencil pushers upstairs would prefer, I will not waste my life watching it die slowly of natural causes. We used to just prune these things. Simple, elegant, efficient. But I'm told the TVA doesn't like to do that anymore, well I do! No matter what my so-called superiors say, the multiverse does not need a baby sitter, it needs a mercy killer. And in this instance, I am the mercy killer! | „ |
| ~ Paradox revealing to Deadpool that he intends to destroy his universe simply because he wants to. |
| “ | I don't want to work for the TVA, I want to be the TVA. | „ |
| ~ Paradox admitting his true ambitions. |
Paradox, also known as Mr. Paradox, is the secondary antagonist of the 2024 Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine. He is a rogue agent of the Time Variance Authority who was in charge of overseeing the Multiverse.
He secretly created a device known as the Time Ripper, in hopes of destroying Earth-10005 and become the new leader of the TVA. However, his crimes were eventually exposed by the combine efforts of Deadpool and Wolverine and was taken into custody for his actions by the TVA themselves.
He was portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen, who also played Tom Wambsgans in Succession. In the Japanese dub of the movie, he is voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu, who voiced Treize Khushrenada in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.
Personality[]
| “ | Deadpool: Is the thought of vaporizing my universe making you peckish? Paradox: I'm eating my feelings. |
„ |
| ~ Paradox attempting to justify erasing Deadpool's universe while eating a sandwich, showing his lack of empathy. |
Paradox is a middle-management man in the Time Variance Authority who dislikes their new practices to preserve timelines, instead of the old ways of pruning them, which Paradox sees as efficient and a form of mercy killing. This unorthodox belief eventually led Paradox to build an unsanctioned Time Ripper capable of destroying entire timelines, a tool he believed provided closure to timelines which lost their anchor being and started to deteriorate until the entire timeline is destroyed completely albeit within a long time. As Paradox is deeply dissatisfied with the state of the TVA and his position in it, he wishes to overthrow the current TVA management with his version of the Time Ripper (which provides a higher efficiency) and hence establish himself as the new overseer of the timelines.
Paradox views the natural process of timeline destruction due to the death of anchor beings as slow, and wished to use the Time Ripper to accelerate this process, which he describes as a painless obliteration of the entire universe. He thus saw the work of fixing things back to what he sees fit as his sacred purpose, a responsibility he thinks he alone can take. This self-perceived mission also fuelled his thirst for power, as he tried to use the Time Ripper as a bargain up the ladder of hierarchy in the TVA. He does not care about the countless lives on the timelines, nor does he show any empathy with them over their fate, as shown when he nonchalantly dismissed the deaths of Deadpool's friends when he tried to convince Deadpool to relocate to Earth-616. Despite his claims of the erasure being a mercy, his motives are entirely around impatience and ambition. Paradox is also a trickster, as he lied to Deadpool about his superiors ordering him to oversee the destruction of his timeline and later immediately tried to associate Deadpool and Wolverine's success in stopping Cassandra Nova with himself, stating that he and the duo were friends, in order to avoid arrest by Hunter B-15.
Even when acting as an ally, he falls into condescending and demeaning tones, and withholds details to make someone jump to a conclusion, only to correct them with a smug implication of them being less intelligent than him. While he was deceptive, he could be honest if it were blunt and degrading to the listener, although mainly said if there was a likelihood that he wouldn't suffer retaliation for his insults.
Despite his negative qualities, Mr. Paradox seemed to genuinely respect and idolize the Wolverine, who sacrificed himself to save Laura, with him even having watched the record of the sacrifice enough to have memorised the last words. Despite the respect, Paradox did not hesitate to destroy his timeline for what he viewed of as a greater good. Paradox heavily despised and looked down on another Wolverine, one whom he called "the worst", just because this Wolverine let down his entire world. This reflects Paradox's stubborn belief that individuals will not change and their past actions define their entire life and future. While showing elements of sympathy for Logan's sacrifice, he seemed more enamoured with the idea of nobility, rather than heroism itself; he also indicated a lack of empathy, as he failed to properly understand Deadpool's emotional turmoil when told his reality would die, and in a smaller case, the chemistry between Hunter B-15 and Peter seemed to annoy and somewhat disgust him. However given that Earth-10005's Wolverine dies in 2029 and he plans to erase the timeline in 2024, shows he's okay with destroying a timeline even before Logan is supposed to die.
Paradox's hubris is further exemplified by his attempts to "save" worthy heroes from dying timelines by offering them the opportunity to leave their timelines behind and join Earth-616, and having no sympathy for any that refuse to forsake their timelines and their loved ones. The fact Paradox doesn't acknowledge or respect the feelings and perspectives of these heroes shows that regardless of any admiration he may have for them, genuine or not, he does not sincerely understand them or truly respect the very merits of what makes them heroes in the first place. He regards any that refuse his offer with frustration and contempt and loses whatever "respect" he claimed to have for them before pruning them, condemning them to the Void. In short, Paradox doesn't actually respect or admire heroes at all, only valuing them if they can be useful to him and go along with his schemes.
Biography[]
Background[]
At some unknown point, Paradox worked for the TVA as its agent for many years, likely to be a variant before his memories got wiped. He would bring in certain variants and offer them a deal to save their worlds and be recognized, however, when they all turned down the offer is the moment Paradox would send them to the Void to be eaten or survive against Alioth. He would also be a party to ambushes to send numerous heroes and villains alike to the Void due to judging them unfit for the Sacred Timeline.
He also abducted an infant Cassandra Nova, due to her attempted pre-birth assassination of her twin brother Charles Xavier, as well as the sheer danger of her potential growth in power, and sent her to the Void, thus she would eventually become leader of her own faction within the Void. Paradox would occasionally contact Nova to alert her of new variants to enslave or feed to Alioth; he also established contact with Pyro, as to have a more stable informant and contingency if Nova ever aimed to escape.
When He Who Remains ends up getting killed and the truth about the TVA got out eventually, later on with God Loki now keeping watch of the timelines, allowing its expansion without reaching entropy as with their previous designs, and allowing the reformation of the organization, Paradox was not thrilled of this news; due to disagreeing to what he perceived as weak coddling, he secretly plotted behind the TVA's backs into building a machine that would prune all timelines again and again, a device he calls the "Time Ripper", which he hoped would prove so efficient that he'd rise to the top of the TVA ranks.
Deadpool & Wolverine[]
Paradox is first seen sending his men to go after Deadpool; in an interrogation room, Deadpool wondered if he was there due to using Cable's time traveling device, but argued that he only fixed things and destroyed the device when he was done. However, Paradox calmed him by noting that his abuse of his timeline wasn't important, and he had been brought there for another purpose. Paradox tries to offer him a deal of becoming a "hero among heroes", giving him a tour around the TVA's workplace and stations.
Once Deadpool is outfitted with his new suit and gear, he returned to the control centre to discuss scheduling with Paradox; however, Paradox deemed this unnecessary since Deadpool's universe, Earth-10005, would soon met its end due to the loss of its Anchor Being. Deadpool questioned what such an entity was, which Paradox explained was an individual of such pivotal importance that, should they die, their entire universe would eventually die, too. Deadpool claimed that he wasn't dead, just suffering a midlife crisis, but Paradox mockingly laughed at him, correcting the Anchor Being was Logan, who gave his life to save his genetic daughter Laura and other mutant children.
Deadpool was then worried about how long his universe had left, which Paradox claimed would usually be a few millennia, but he was unwilling to wait for the expiration, rather intending to use an almost complete machine, the Time Ripper, that would swiftly "mercy kill" the reality. Deadpool broke his nose and stole his TemPad to recover Logan from his grave; however, since his Logan was truly dead, Deadpool was forced to explore the mutliverse to find any Wolverine that could replace the dead one.
When Deadpool returned with a Wolverine, Paradox taunted his efforts, since he was never going to save his universe, but even if he did, Deadpool found what Paradox labeled as the worst Wolverine, due to his legendary failure. Deadpool argued that if he talked with the higher ups, then perhaps a compromise could be found; however, when Paradox and his team remained silent, Deadpool realized that the Time Ripper was an unsanctioned plan and the rest of the TVA had no idea it was happening. Before Deadpool could contact the upper echelons, Paradox used a Time Stick to prune him; when Wolverine tried to attack, he was also pruned.
Paradox had informed Cassandra Nova, a ruler of the Void, thus a convoy of her men went to their destination to collect them for her whims. After Deadpool and Wolverine escaped, Pyro contacted Paradox to inform him of this fact, making the latter panicking due to the Time Ripper's near completion, but still incomplete nonetheless.
After Wolverine managed to appeal to tiny shred of humanity in Nova, she used a sling ring to allow him and Deadpool return to Earth-10005 from the Void. Paradox rushed out of a TVA outpost in the subway in Deadpool and Blind Al's street, and angrily chastised the anti-heroes for failing to understand the brilliance of his methods. Before they could argue much, another portal opened, through which stepped Pyro, whose neck was snapped by Nova, who appeared after him. Nova expressed irritation about Paradox using Pyro to spy on her and then attempt her assassination; Nova phased her hand into Paradox's head, which allowed her to read his mind. Upon learning of the Time Ripper, she was excited, and declared that she won't follow Paradox's plan of erasing one timeline, but rather she would erase the entire multiverse, leaving the Void as the only remaining reality left, thereby making her its God.
Nova psychic blasted Deadpool and Wolverine down the street, leaving her unimpaired to drag Paradox down into the outpost, continuing to read his mind to learn how to use the Time Ripper. Nova activated the Time Ripper, leaving Paradox alive but fragile from his physical and mental violation; she entered the control chamber, and began preparing to harmonise her powers with the machine. While the Deadpool Corps managed to delay the anti-heroes, the timely arrival of Deadpool's friend Peter ceased the conflict due to them all having a Peter and loving to spend time with him. When Deadpool and Wolverine enter the outpost, they found Paradox had recovered enough to stand, but was despondent, as the controls had been locked to Nova's command; upon questioning if there was a way to stop him, Paradox said there wasn't, but when Wolverine threatened him with claws, he had the adrenalin boost and fear to recall that the Time Ripper had two power flows, one of matter and one of antimatter, and if a circuit was created in the generator room beneath the machine, then it would overcharge and explode, leaving the timelines safe. The only problem was, if that happened, whoever caused the circuit would be atomized, even if they could heal. Deadpool and Wolverine are able to cooperate to create the circuit, which overcharges the Time Ripper, causing it to disintegrate, along with Cassandra Nova.
A TVA squad, led by Hunter B-15, arrived at the site due to the hazardous temporal readings. Paradox feigned innocence, by blaming the Time Ripper threat on Cassandra Nova, and criticising the TVA for failing to keep her contained in the Void; he then lied by claiming Deadpool and Wolverine were his men and his friends, while claiming to feel sorrow for their loss. However, Deadpool and Wolverine appeared, alive, causing Paradox to lose his composure and curse out loud, before being restrained by a couple TVA troops; due to the act of heroism by the anti-heroic pair, they became the collective Anchor Being, thus ceased the decay of the timeline triggered by Logan's death. When Peter joined, he and B-15 share a passionate gaze and a few awkward, yet suggestive words, which was much to Paradox's disgust. A dimensional doorway was opened, with the troops escorting Paradox back to the TVA to face the consequences for his unsanctioned actions that almost, if indirectly, led to the end of all realities throughout the multiverse.
Ironically, Paradox's scheming and genocidal plotting helped Deadpool overcome his existential crisis and insecurity, and it helped the found Wolverine find a level of peace with his grief, as well as feel like he became a true hero just as Professor Charles Xavier believed.
Quotes[]
| “ | Paradox: I warned them that they would be completely obliterated, but they went! But they went anyway, like... Like heroes. Because that's who they were. They just did what they had to do, with no concern for their own safety. The fact that we are all still standing here is a testament to their heroism! Anyway, there's nothing you or I can do to bring them back now. Deadpool: He has risen baby girl! Paradox: F-CK! |
„ |
| ~ Paradox pretends to be in mourning until they find out that Deadpool and Wolverine are still alive. |
| “ | Paradox: WHAT THE F-CK IS HAPPENING HERE?! Hunter B-15: You are under judgment for operating an unsanctioned Time Ripper. Take him! Paradox: I was just doing what you don't have the guts to do! Get off! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!!!!! |
„ |
| ~ Paradox's last words as he's dragged away to face judgement for his actions. |
Trivia[]
- Parallels can be drawn between Paradox and Macfadyen's other most popular character Tom Wambsgans. Both have a polite business-like exterior but with a mean/smug streak that makes them occasionally act awkward or eccentric, and both are managers who seek to climb to the top of their organization even through the sacrifice of other people.
- In the comics, Paradox was a minor character who appeared in She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #3. Unlike his MCU counterpart, he wasn’t a villain in any way.
External Links[]
- Paradox on the Pure Evil Wiki.
- Paradox on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki.
