Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

​"Deadpool & Wolverine" stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, and Matthew Macfadyen.  Released on July 26, 2024, the film has Deadpool traveling across the multiverse with Wolverine.

The film is directed by Shawn Levy, who also directed films such as "Big Fat Liar", "Just Married", "Night at the Museum", "Real Steel", and "Free Guy".  It is the third installment in the Deadpool film series and the 34th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  The iconic "Merc with the Mouth" may be known for invading comics with his fourth-wall-breaking and deranged sense of humor, but his cinematic journey is something that should be studied for years.  His infamous first appearance in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" would've been the first and last time we see Deadpool on the big screen.  But in 2016, the masked anti-hero made a stunning comeback in his first solo adventure, catapulting Ryan Reynolds' career to new heights.  That trend would continue two years later with "Deadpool 2", which I thought was the best of the duology.  With the merger between Disney and Fox, many of us thought that movie would be the last time we see Deadpool on the big screen since the former is more of a family-friendly brand.  However, we were proven wrong with the long-awaited follow-up that takes the foul-mouthed and violent superhero into the teen-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe.  By that, I mean two foul-mouthed and violent superheroes, with Hugh Jackman returning from retirement to reprise his role of Wolverine following his supposed swan song, "Logan".  Were they enough to reinvigorate the expansive franchise through its Multiverse Saga, or are they better off staying in their own adult-rated Marvel universes?  Let's find out.

The story occurs six years after the events of "Deadpool 2".  Following his time-traveling shenanigans, Wade Wilson (Reynolds) now lives a quiet life working as a used car salesman and spending time with his friends, including his former fiancee Vanessa (Baccarin), leaving his mercenary days behind.  However, his new life was suddenly interrupted by the Time Variance Authority, a mysterious organization tasked with monitoring the timelines of each universe.  The TVA recruits Wade to take on the mantle of Deadpool once more to tackle a special mission.  However, upon learning his timeline is about to be annihilated following the death of Logan (Jackman), its "anchor being", Wade travels across the multiverse to find an alternate variant of Logan, who's haunted by his traumatic past.  Despite not seeing eye to eye, Wade and Logan must put aside their differences to save Wade's universe from destruction, leading them to confront the telekinetic mutant Cassandra Nova (Corrin).    

My early exposure to Deadpool wasn't very memorable pre-2016, only recognizing the mercenary mutant through "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and the direct-to-DVD film "Hulk Vs."  It wasn't until I watched the title character's first solo outing that I gained a better appreciation for the foul-mouthed anti-hero.  The first "Deadpool" movie was raunchy, wild, and violent, but it also didn't neglect to combine them with clever humor, fun charisma, and heart.  "Deadpool 2" offered more of the same, but better, with just the right amount of character growth for Wade to make it one of my favorite superhero sequels.  These movies made me appreciate Deadpool as much as I do for other heroes and reevaluate Ryan Reynolds as one of the more charismatic actors.  So when I heard that Deadpool is making his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine, I was beyond excited to see the two iconic mutants working together for the first time since "X-Men Origins: Wolverine".  However, I was also curious how they would make this work, especially with the multiverse element and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's history of teen-rated content.

One very noticeable reason for my curiosity was its rating.  The Deadpool movies have been rated R for several reasons.  The films' instances of gory violence, adult jokes, and pervasive language were enough to make Deadpool more of a role model for adults compared to other superheroes that kids look up to.  With Deadpool now a part of the MCU, there was some concern about Disney limiting the character's crude nature to make it more "family-friendly".  Thankfully, those worries were thrown out the window when we heard they're leaving the raunchy tone intact, resulting in this film being the first R-rated installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  So, as usual, it bears repeating to think twice before taking younger kids to "Deadpool & Wolverine," so you won't be judged repeatedly for being a bad parent.  I'm sure Deadpool and I will if you don't heed that warning.  But besides its rating, how does this long-awaited team-up stack up compared to Deadpool's previous adventures?  Unsurprisingly, it turned out exactly how I expected it to be: crude, violent, meta, and, more importantly, fun.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" may not have top "Deadpool 2" as my favorite installment in the R-rated superhero trilogy.  However, it retains almost all the elements that made its predecessors work for me, plus a dash of the usual MCU flair for good measure.  The result is a nonstop, Easter-Egg-hunting, gloriously brutal ride that's also a crowd-pleasing tribute to Fox's Marvel library, mainly the X-Men films involving Wolverine.  My mother and I went to see the movie with a packed crowd, and I have to say, it was so delightful to see a Marvel movie with a well-behaved audience again.  Now, you might think I'm just glossing over it because it's a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie.  That's not entirely true, as I gave "Black Widow" and "The Marvels" a lower grade for a reason.  Undoubtedly, "Deadpool & Wolverine" has flaws similar to those from other MCU installments.  However, this one stood out the most because its pros outweigh the minor issues in its story, including the pacing and the antagonists.

Like its predecessors, "Deadpool & Wolverine" understood that there's more to its concept than just Deadpool swearing constantly and killing people every few minutes.  It's also about Wade's journey that leads him to become a better person and hero.  In this film's case, we see Wade attempting to prove his worth as a hero to everyone.  He wants to be seen as more than just a laughing stock, leading him to understand the importance of becoming a hero whom people can look up to.  While certain aspects of its storytelling may not resonate with everyone, its blend of heart and humor succeeds in not taking itself too seriously or being excessively vulgar throughout most of its duration.  It was also carried by the highly entertaining buddy-comedy chemistry between Deadpool and Logan, with the latter's past actions serving as its soul amid their brutal feud.  

This was due to Shawn Levy, who's proven to be surprisingly confident with big-budget blockbusters.  Similar to his previous work, "Free Guy", Levy provided a line between self-awareness, charm, action, and sincerity that treads along its abundance of Easter eggs and surprising cameos, reflecting Disney and Marvel's "maximum efforts" to take bold swings in mocking themselves with rewarding results.  As for the cameos, I highly recommend experiencing the film without prior knowledge.  You might be pleasantly surprised by the filmmakers' efforts to incorporate them into the movie.  Levy also did a splendid job maintaining the R-rated violence through his vision and the action choreography, offering plenty of hilarious and satisfyingly gory moments, including the opening sequence. 

Ryan Reynolds has repeatedly proven his worth of being Deadpool in the previous two movies.  He was abundantly charismatic, crude, and even hilarious, similar to the character he was portraying.  Unsurprisingly, his performance in "Deadpool & Wolverine" proved this fact further, with just enough heart and charm to elevate his sense of humor.  As for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, what else can I say about him that hasn't been said?  He's the perfect embodiment of the iconic X-Man in live-action form, not just for the character's hot-tempered attitude but also for his humanity and trauma.  His performance in "Logan" is still my favorite regarding that film's authentic and raw take on the character.  Nonetheless, Jackman's performance here further indicates his passion and commitment to Wolverine after playing him for over 20 years.  

The rest of the cast did very well with their performances, including the supporting cast reprising their roles from its predecessors.  Most of them, including Vanessa and Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), don't have as much screen time as others, but a couple of them stood out the most regarding their humor, including Rob Delaney as Peter Wisdom and Leslie Uggams as Blind Al.  Emma Corrin, known for portraying Diana, Princess of Wales in "The Crown", was also decent as the delightfully twisted twin sister of Charles Xavier, Cassandra Nova.  Unfortunately, even with some of her bright spots, Cassandra is another victim of the MCU villain issue, in which an antagonist is more formulaic than the fourth-wall-breaking masked hero.  This flaw wasn't as massive here as in the other MCU installments, but I can see it bothering those hoping for another layered comic-book villain.  Finally, we have Matthew Macfadyen, who's certainly an odd one regarding his role as Mr. Paradox, the TVA agent with a personal agenda.  His performance intends to make Paradox an over-the-top yet calm character obsessed with being on top, and I thought it wasn't too bad.

Overall, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is a wildly violent and entertaining trip through the multiverse that's as delectable as a plate full of chimichangas.  It has some minor issues that kept it from dethroning "Deadpool 2" and many other outstanding MCU installments, including some of its narrative beats and villains.  But, in all seriousness, what are you expecting out of a "Deadpool" movie?  The next "Dark Knight"?  Yes, it has flaws, but what matters is whether I had fun watching it, and guess what?  I had an absolute blast watching Deadpool poke fun at Disney.  Even better, it retains the narrative's heart amid its vulgarity and adult-rated violence that made the previous two "Deadpool" movies great adaptations of the iconic anti-hero.  Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman were both fantastic in their roles, and Shawn Levy delivered some great moments in his direction, including the action sequences and self-aware humor.  More importantly, it's another boost the franchise needs to reinvigorate its fifth phase, with the upcoming "Captain America" film hoping to continue this streak.  If you loved the previous "Deadpool" movies and even the Fox-Marvel films from the 2000s and 2010s, you'll have a great time with this one.

A-