Pumping out a dozen films since Avengers: Endgame in the past five years, Marvel Studios has consistently struggled to get most moviegoers excited for another superhero movie due to the sheer volume of mediocre projects. Its latest entry has bucked that trend, for now. Deadpool & Wolverine is the win that Marvel boss Kevin Feige needed.
The threequel, which brings Deadpool/Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine/Logan (Hugh Jackman) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for the first time since Disney’s 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox, sees the two mutant anti-heroes duking it out in a hilarious, irreverent romp. After getting off on the wrong foot, the pair begrudgingly learn to get along with each other for the sake of the multiverse. Despite its gruesome violence, the buddy comedy has a strong emotional backbone, manifested in its titular characters, that provides plenty of wholesome entertainment.
The film starts with Wilson longing to become more than his wisecracking, vulgar Deadpool persona. He applies for the Avengers in his desire to become a hero but ultimately gets rejected. The Time Variance Authority (TVA) from the Disney+ TV series Loki then gives him the opportunity to save his universe from extinction, and it turns out the only person who can possibly save it is Wolverine. The only problem is Wolverine died at the end of 2017’s Logan, forcing Deadpool to find an alternate version of the claw-wielding X-Man that can help him. But the one that Deadpool chooses happens to be the worst. “This Wolverine failed his entire world,” says Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), the reason for which you’ll discover later in the 127-minute runtime.
Deadpool and Wolverine are then thrust into teaming up to defeat Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), Professor Charles Xavier’s unborn twin sister, and save the entire fabric of reality. These inconceivably large stakes are enough to instill apathy in audiences, but the complex relationship between its two leads makes the latest Deadpool outing shine.
Deadpool’s unhinged humor and Wolverine’s brooding pessimism strike the perfect balance for those who may not have enjoyed the Merc with the Mouth’s obnoxious sarcasm in his first two movies. Often butting heads because of their disparate personalities, both take full advantage of their regenerative powers to slice and dice each other in two well-choreographed fight sequences. The other action scenes are gory as well, making this the most violent MCU film Disney has ever released.
The meta-humor is top-notch. Deadpool mocks the lackluster state of the MCU and jokes about how Disney will make Jackman play Wolverine until he’s 90. Most of the jokes stick the landing, thanks to Reynolds’ impeccable comedic timing. The cameos, which harken back to Fox’s X-Men franchise and late 1990s/early 2000s superhero movies, are fun yet meaningful. Unlike Mister Fantastic’s wasted appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the cameos here play into the plot.
But that plot could have been much stronger. The multiverse and TVA are the least interesting parts of the film. Fortunately, they take a backseat to the dynamic between Deadpool and Wolverine, which comes to the forefront of the story. Certain moments feel coincidental as if the two mutants are strung along by other characters at the right moment so the plot can progress. These convenient coincidences are likely due to the fact that the screenplay was written by five people, including Reynolds and director Shawn Levy. As a result, the script tends to meander because it’s not as tight as the previous two Deadpool movies. Additionally, because of Corrin’s lack of screen presence, the main villain is forgettable.
With all its flaws, the film respects Wolverine enough to make audiences care seven years after his cinematic departure in Logan. Unable to top that eponymous swan song, Deadpool & Wolverine manages to give satisfying redemption arcs to the unlikely duo. Deadpool proves himself a hero who can make the tough call, while Wolverine learns how to move past his worst mistakes. It’s because of these heartwarming messages that I find myself partly disagreeing with Armond White’s conclusion that the summer blockbuster is “Marvel’s ultimate nihilistic sequel.” Deadpool and Wolverine may not embody traditional moral values, as seen in their bloodlust, but they do rise to the occasion by becoming sacrificial heroes.
However, Marvel Studios’ 33rd film does nothing for the larger cinematic universe in which it’s set. Despite his best efforts as the self-described “Marvel Jesus,” Deadpool can’t save the MCU from the less-than-desirable upcoming projects in its main continuity — the major two being Agatha All Along, a horror-inspired WandaVision spinoff no one asked for, and Captain America: Brave New World, which doesn’t feature Steve Rogers as the star-spangled hero. It will be some time before Marvel releases anything worth watching, either on Disney+ or in theaters.
Deadpool & Wolverine, nonetheless, is an extraordinary triumph for Marvel Studios, given it has already made $444 million worldwide as of Monday and continues to perform well with audiences. The amount of success in a matter of three days is astounding for an R-rated flick. One can only hope the Disney-owned studio produces more stories that both hardcore fans and casual moviegoers want to go see again and again, like this one.