As a long time fan of the MCU, I can say without any malice they are currently through it at the moment. The once well-oiled cinematic machine that simply printed money with each new release, has stumbled time and time again since Phase Three buttoned up the Infinity saga. A bevy of unengaging characters, a glut of mediocre films and TV shows to keep up with, have all but scared off most who don’t possess the backlog of knowledge required for entry. Deadpool & Wolverine are here not only to offer a return to those good old days pre-snap, but help us remember what made us love the MCU in the first place, just from a very adult POV.
After a brief recap of the first two films, we get to witness Deadpool’s first official foray into the MCU proper as he attempts to interview for the Avengers, his rejection triggers a midlife crisis that has the downtrodden Wade Wilson a few years later selling used cars, still looking for a way to “find a way to matter in the MCU”. The opportunity soon presents itself as he is abducted by the TVA and told that because the “anchor being” of his particular timeline has died, his timeline was beginning to unravel and would soon be following suit – with the anchor in question being Logan from the 2017 superhero masterwork. This has Wade first looking for a replacement Logan, and when that doesn’t quite workout, he then comes across a Wolverine with an exceptionally troubled past, who reluctantly joins him to take on the TVA and save his timeline.
(Before you cry about spoilers, this all happens in like the first 15 minutes)
Stakes-wise the film has the tension of one of those sorority boner comedies, where the only thing that can save the frat house is a last minute bikini car wash, and I think the writers were smart enough to realize that. Death and stakes in general in the MCU have been reduced to more of an inconvenience than anything else. They’re something that can be reversed or written around based on a nostalgic itch or a bigger paycheck for the star in question. So the writers decided to use this opportunity to instead really dig into the state of superhero films past and present and the MCU as a whole. This is done in a meta self deprecating love letter shared with its fans laced with some Kendrick Lamar level double entendres one liners.
What I loved about the humor is it has both an easy mode, coupled with a IYKYK deep cut for those steeped in both Marvel and its celebrity lore.
These whip smart jokes and visual gags come fast and furious and for the most part land. Even with my personal Ryan Reynolds tolerance waning after him experiencing an almost Chris Pratt oversaturation. Thankfully Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine manages to not only anchor the film, but balance and stand his ground with the Merc with a Mouth on a scene to scene basis. Not only do we get to see the two eviscerate one another more than once, both physically and verbally, it transpires in some truly brutal fights that finally gave me what I had always imagined a comic accurate depiction of a Wolverine asskicking would be like. I will also add when it comes to the verbal back and forth, while Jackman’s wit may not be as sharp as his claws, it cuts twice as hard based on delivery alone.
Deadpool & Wolverine works as not only a MCU multiverse palette cleanser, but a requiem for all the heroes and villains that have led us to this point, surprisingly not just of the mutant variety. I think that unexpected poignancy may be the most surprising thing for long-time fans of comic book films in general, who get not just a cameo, but a continuation and closure to some characters’ journeys that were cut short when they were left behind. But for those simply looking for crude humor, action and gore, this film has that as well, along with a grand finale that finally delivers on Deadpool’s potential as a character thanks to the bottomless pockets of Mickey Mouse and a go big or go broke attitude. Deadpool & Wolverine is a hilariously meta glimpse at the state of superhero cinema through the eyes of one of the media’s most fearless and deranged characters. He reminds us of not only why we’re in the theater, but shows us there’s still some gas left in that Honda Odyssey.
