NOW IN THEATERS! In post-strike Hollywood, comic-book fans have been desperately waiting for a good superhero film…hell, a great superhero film…for a very long time. Does Deadpool & Wolverine deliver? Let’s find out.
Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is dead, as told in Hugh Jackman’s last X-Men film, Logan. Meanwhile Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has failed to join the Avengers because he’s not a team player. As a result, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) has left him, and Wade is left with a life as a certified pre-owned vehicle salesman with Peter (Rob Delaney). Wade’s problem is he has has found no meaning in life other than killing people with smarmy comments.
At least Wade has his friends (see Deadpool 1 and 2). While celebrating his birthday with said friends, Wade is visited by the TVA (from Loki), led by Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen). He informs Wade that with Logan’s death, his timeline is going to deteriorate fast and that the TVA could use his skills. The cost is all his friends, and his world will disappear.
The defiant Wade goes out to find a Wolverine in another timeline to replace his dead Wolverine and save the 616. Wade finds the worst Wolverine in the space-time continuum, but Mr. Paradox has other plans. When Wade resists, Mr. Paradox sends him to the Void (see Loki…or don’t) with loser Wolverine to live his life out in Eternity under the thumb of Professor X’s sister, the evil Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). Can Deadpool and Wolverine set aside their differences long enough to escape the Void and set time back in his world?
This is the Marvel movie we’ve been waiting for for a very long time. When Disney bought Fox, we were certain Deadpool would never come back, and if he did, it would be under Disney rules. Thankfully, Kevin Feige and the powers that be gave Ryan Reynolds and crew a lot of freedom. Reynolds is absolutely savage on Disney and this stupid multi-verse story-line that I hated when it reared its ugly head in the comic books.
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and 2024 MARVEL.
“Wade Wilson has failed to join the Avengers because he’s not a team player.”
This is almost a perfect movie. Yes, we’re used to Deadpool violence, and now we’re getting the Wolverine violence that only an R-rating can give us. There are fights between Deadpool and Wolverine that are as spectacular as they are bloody. The violence is one of the highlights of this film.
Another highlight is the Wolverine story. Logan’s emotional journey is brutal and heartfelt. Next to Logan, Deadpool & Wolverine is probably the best Wolverine story in the series, and Hugh Jackman brought humanity to the character that seemed either restrained or over-dramatized in the previous ventures.
Taking a note from Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte, Deadpool’s signature “Merc with a Mouth” raunchy humor is on full display, making Deadpool & Wolverine the gayest superhero film ever. This is not for kids or the faint at heart.
The cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine will blow your mind. I can’t spoil any of it. Please don’t look up any spoilers before seeing the movie. You’ll want to experience it yourself. Not a cameo goes to waste, and most of them pay homage to Fox X-Men and other properties they have held over the decades.
Lastly, Deadpool’s incredible meta-commentary leveled up the signature fourth-wall-breaking. How many times does Deadpool refer to Wolverine as “Hugh?”
Deadpool & Wolverine is an absolute blast, mixing savage humor, intense action, and heartfelt moments. Let’s hope this isn’t the end of the line for this dynamic duo – we need more adventures in this brilliantly chaotic universe!