Banner image: Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
Back in 2019, Disney bought fellow film studio 21st Century Fox for a whopping $71.3 billion in one of the biggest media mergers of all time. This gave them ownership over a treasure trove of intellectual property – from The Simpsons to the Alien franchise.
More importantly for superhero fans, the takeover allowed Disney to welcome a cohort of beloved Marvel characters into the fold of their cinematic universe who had previously been penned away. These include the X-men, the Fantastic Four, and the scarred, snarky mercenary Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool. But is the grass greener on the other side of the Hollywood fence?
For the ‘merc with a mouth’s’ first venture into the most lucrative franchise of all time, the creatives at Marvel decided to make nerd dreams all over the world come true by partnering him with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. In the comics, these two practically unkillable characters share a unique relationship that’s morphed over the years – from adversaries to pals to best frenemies.
In their second time sharing the silver screen (having both appeared in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a project fans were less than pleased with), the pair are brought together by some multiverse, timeline-hopping shenanigans. Specifically, Wade seeks out Jackman’s gruff, claw-wielding hero – who’s finally suited and booted in a comic-accurate costume – to help him save his universe.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
In true Deadpool fashion, the flick opens with Ryan Reynolds’ titular anti-hero humming over Marvel’s iconic opening theme. If you’re not familiar with the character from the comics or the previous two instalments, his signature gimmick is breaking the fourth wall to interact with the audience, often making self-referential, tongue-in-cheek comments about the fact that he lives in a fictional universe. And, in Deadpool & Wolverine, this device is stretched to its absolute limits.
It’s a tricky film for the uninitiated because lots of Wade’s quips reference either Marvel’s sprawling lore or Disney and 20th Century Fox’s behind-the-scenes antics. The film can feel like a two-hour-long Ryan Reynolds stand-up comedy routine, with the frankly weak storyline taking a backseat.
With this in mind, I can’t help but feel like the filmmakers risk alienating much of their casual audience. This is made even more pronounced by the gratuitous fan service, as director Shawn Levy and Co cram in cameo characters from the last 20 years of Marvel cinematic history. Again, this is pure movie candy for superhero fans, but it might leave a large portion of viewers feeling left out.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
With all that said, the jokes come thick and fast – it might be the funniest Deadpool film yet – and there’s epic violence to match. Those worried that the move to Disney would tame the outrageous R-rated franchise will certainly be satisfied (it’s definitely not suitable for kids). Though wild and inventive, some fight scenes don’t feel as smooth and dynamic as in its predecessors, with some lacklustre CGI shots taking us out of the gory brawls. You might find yourself wondering whether they blew too much of their budget wrangling actors into cameos and not enough on special effects.
As expected, the dynamic between Reynolds and Jackman is entertaining. The Crown’s Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen are also well-cast as the villains, with the latter bringing more than a little of the petulant sliminess audiences enjoyed in his Emmy-winning Succession role. But engaging performances, easter eggs galore, and rapid-fire jokes don’t always make up for the film’s underlying story issue.
Ever since Avengers: Endgame, the monumental climax to what Marvel has dubbed ‘The Infinity Saga’, it’s fair to say that the studio’s offerings have been less than stellar – with the exception of Spiderman: No Way Home, that is. As they embark on the second chapter of their grand project, plot and character-focused storytelling have been drowned out in a messy puddle of confusing timelines, over-stuffed call sheets, and saturated CGI. And while Deadpool & Wolverine openly acknowledge this trend, they still seem to succumb to the same pitfalls.
Of course, this isn’t necessarily the fault of the director and his writing team, who presumably have to work within the margins of the creative vision of Marvel’s bigwigs. And they still manage to deliver an entertaining experience within these confines. However, while it’s a riotous pick-and-mix of delights for superhero fans, average moviegoers might still be hungry for something more substantial.
Deadpool & Wolverine is in cinemas now.
Are you planning on watching Deadpool & Wolverine? Or have you seen it already? If so, what do you think? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.