“Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024) is the thirty-fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the sequel to “Deadpool” (2016) and “Deadpool 2” (2018). Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), the Merc with the Mouth, now self-proclaimed Marvel Jesus, has retired and caught the attention of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), which MCU devotees will recall from “Loki.” TVA’s Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) informs Deadpool that his timeline/universe, Earth 100003, is dying. To save his universe, Deadpool must team up with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman’s tenth time in the role), who is drowning his sorrows in alcohol and disinterested in a team up. Say farewell to 20th Century Fox and say hello to Disney for this (hard) R-rated, hilarious, violent and profane cameo filled shot of adrenaline to the uneven Phase Five.
I loved “Deadpool,” but “Deadpool 2” took a while to find its footing, which was a bit early in the franchise to lose some of its steam. Reynolds is Deadpool, and his absolute devotion to the character is endearing. His ongoing, off-screen teasing with Jackman was part of the promotional fun, especially since everyone, including its stars, agrees that their first encounter in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009) was the worst rendition of the initial titular mutants. Once Jackman announced that he planned to stop playing Wolverine after “Logan” (2017), it seemed like the ribbing would just be part of the promotional PR, but he is back. If fans of the “X-Men” franchise are honest with themselves, the mutant franchise as one cohesive story stopped making sense a long time ago, but now we’re here, and y’all the storyline makes sense without ruining “Logan.”
Jackman has had twenty-four years to play the same character, and he delivers his usual seamless performance. Wolverine is always a big contrast to the song and dance man that he is during his off-hours. Of course, Jackman’s acting is not the primary concern. For everyone who is into the comics, the readers will lose their crap over seeing Wolverine in the traditional yellow and blue costume, hearing digs about the original character’s height or seeing his epic face off against Sabretooth. Because “Deadpool & Wolverine” is full of raunchy fun, and heterosexual teenage girls/women and gay/bi/pan men have been appreciating shirtless Jackman for generations, “Deadpool and Wolverine” tease its audience whether they will deliver an oiled up, shirtless Jackman. You’ll have to wait until the denouement to find out.
Is there homework? Seeing each “Deadpool” movie is not required. The people that Wade loves provide motivation for saving his world, but it is not essential to know who they are. They only appear in the bookends of the film or in a Polaroid picture that Deadpool carries around during his time with Wolverine. If you only had time to watch one, “Deadpool 2” is the required one to get the Peter (Rob Delaney) jokes. Even as an MCU fan, I kind of forgot that it means keeping up with the television series. While I watched the first season of “Loki,” I did not watch the second season so once I realized that it was going to be pivotal, I was concerned that I would not be able to keep up. If I finally get around to watching the second season, I’ll retroactively know if I missed too much, but I was able to get by with one season under my belt. You need to see “Loki” or be prepared to be a little confused, especially if you have not been keeping up with all the movies. It is kind of important to see at least the first three “X-Men” movies: “X-Men” (2000), “X2: X-Men United” (2003), “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006) along with “Logan,” but the entire franchise comes up. In what world would someone watch “Deadpool & Wolverine’ without watching either franchise is unfathomable, but anything is possible.
If you have been watching Marvel movies before the MCU existed, then you are in for a treat. There are plenty of cameos from those movies and some that never got on screen kind of like Nicholas Cage’s surprise cameo in “The Flash” (2023). The press has already reported that Jennifer Garner and Dafne Keen have reprised their respective roles as Elektra and X-23/Laura. It is so nice to have Garner return to action and get a break from taking roles as moms, especially for those of us who were fans since “Alias.” There is one cameo that made me scream and howl, and another that should be a huge hit with Massachusetts moviegoers. At that point, I lost all critical thought. If you enjoyed the fan service of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021) and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022), then you are in for a treat, and you should stay for all the closing credits.
Any criticism? When you have two mutants with regeneration powers, the fights eventually become monotonous and repetitive even when they pay homage to a certain iconic South Korean filmmaker. The amount of hazy colored memories of Wade’s love for Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) are not as poignant as they were the first 1,000 times that they were shown in the first two movies. After the first sequence, stabbing people with a katana sword through the butt and genitals starts to lose laughs and feels needy. Obviously, the stories are a bit one-dimensional since they lean heavy on Logan being a drunk, hot head and Wade being a wonton jokester, but sometimes a movie like “Deadpool and Wolverine” is appealing because it is a wish fulfillment, a moment of nostalgia and an opportunity to see a live-action rendition of superheroes. It is impressive for what it is, and while it may not have the deeper philosophical significance of some MCU films, sometimes a comic book movie can just be a comic book movie.
The biggest asset of “Deadpool and Wolverine” is the ability to break the fourth wall and consistently provide self-deprecating humor. It is a reward to fans who are paying as much attention to the actors and production as the mythology of the superheroes. One dig about Jackman going through a divorce and his undying love for musicals is a joyous contrast to the gruff, monosyllabic, traumatized Wolverine. If bawdy humor and inside jokes do not appeal to you, consider yourself forewarned and run. It is inevitable that the warring odd couple will eventually find common ground and become buddies, and the road to get there may take too long, but it is worth the ride.
Newcomer Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) as a fearsome mutant obstacle on the titular antiheroes’ quest is suitably terrifying. It is nice that they dipped into the “X-Men” universe and used a character who has not appeared on film before. Once revealed, her relationship to other characters makes her instantly understandable, but fresh enough to not feel like a retread. Seeing Aaron Stanford play Pyro again was surprisingly satisfying. If there was a wish list of characters that could come back, Pyro would not be on it, but he works and was memorable.
The soundtrack also underscores the humor of “Deadpool and Wolverine.” They are all nostalgic, campy bangers, and part of the fun is how unsuitable and yet perfect they are as the backdrop to the action unfolding on screen. Director Shawn Levy has a diverse portfolio which shows his versatility and success in making entertainment from “This Is Where I Leave You” (2014) to “Free Guy” (2021), which marked the beginning of his collaboration with Reynolds, which continued with “The Adam Project” (2022), which Garner was also in. Levy may have a TV series heavy resume, but his transition to the big screen seems smooth, especially to snag MCU moolah.
There are at least five writers for “Deadpool and Wolverine.” Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have been there since the first “Deadpool,” and Reynolds has been on board since “Deadpool 2.” Cowriter Zeb Wells is the writing newcomer. It is his sophomore feature gig after mostly writing for television series and had his start with the MCU after penning one episode for “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” not counting his stint as additional crew in “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022). This film is director Levy’s first stab at writing. Apparently, it is the right amount of cooks because the broth is a hilarious alphabet soup of jokes that elicit actual, not theoretical, laughs out loud. Most comedies cannot pull off a single joke, but this crew had me dying in the aisles. It is unfortunate that a lot of their humor rests in the idea that men hitting on men is inherently hilarious, but there are plenty of other jokes to enjoy when that gets old.
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My favorite cameo was Wesley Snipes as Blade. The MCU could resume using Snipes, and I would watch it. I wanted more time with it. The most impressive cameo, which I guessed correctly, was Chris Evans not as Captain America but as Johnny Storm with a thick Massachusetts accent. The Ben Affleck dig was chef’s kiss. The cameo that had the most profound effect was Channing Tatum as Gambit. I have a long history of not enjoying Tatum’s performances, and I know nothing about Gambit, but his little Cajun drawl seemed like actual acting, which is a step up for him, and I thought that all his self-deprecating lines were side-splitting. “Deadpool and Wolverine” did some Herculean work if I could walk away enjoying Tatum. It was a little Disney that all these cameos wanted was their ending, and I kind of expected them to break into song, but with so many great action icons come to life on screen, a little cheese is worth the price of admission. The blink and miss it Henry Cavill cameo was genius.
The Furiosa references are perfectly timed and absolutely killed me. I was done. Adored the Golgotha scene with the skull littered ground surrounding the real Marvel Jesus on an X for a crucifix. Slight quibble: The best part about a fourth wall breaking Deadpool is his ability to offer the most valid critique of the MCU: we’re not super invested in all these timelines/multiverse storylines. Now that they accept it (they accepted it, right?) maybe the MCU will remedy it in the future. Unlike most people, “Loki” was my least favorite MCU television series (I have not seen them all) so getting that lore in “Deadpool & Wolverine” had me wondering if I was in for a slog, but Macfadyen made it work.
Is there a reverse Mary Sue? Because the defeat of Cassandra Nova, who resembled an elfish Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in “Alien 3” (1992) felt too easy. She was a great villain, and her torture sequence with Wolverine was the most visually stunning, least obvious, most subtle scene, though it felt repetitive after Wolverine’s fireside chat with Laura.
Wolverine was a changed person once he was invested in saving the world, but he took it a little too in stride when the TVA refused to restore his world; however, it makes sense given the overall story arc. Wolverine and Deadpool make poignant foils. Wolverine was painted as the person who is capable of being a great hero despite himself, suffers from a ton of self-hatred and tends to isolate whereas Deadpool lacks vision but is a person who is willing to accept his ordinariness and lack of character. In many ways, he is mentally stronger than Wolverine so when Cassandra tries to sucker punch him by inserting a false memory of Vanessa saying that he does not matter, it snaps him out of it. Deadpool may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but his confidence and self-acceptance are his real superpowers. I’m not sure if that aligns with his wonton contribution to the deaths of Johnny and Nice Pool, but his constant effort to join a team may be overtly self-serving, but it is consistent.
Wolverine is obviously irritated with Deadpool for many reasons, but it could also be his relentless optimism and willingness to fight for the life that he wants rather than wallow in self-pity and suffer needlessly. Some say that we hate other people when we see ourselves in them, and Wolverine lashes out because Deadpool’s cheery existence would be aggravating if you are trying to wear a hair shirt. Laura validating his inadequacies instead of only emphasizing his heroism reminds him that it is possible to be both a horrible person and save others. So in the end, he is able to care again and reenter community with his aggravating enemy turned buddy Deadpool. The image of him finding a place at the table is wonderful because unlike Charles Xavier’s community, there is no pressure to do anything but live. This Wolverine gets to have something that he never had, a normal life. Of course, it won’t last, but it is a great ending.
