For many audiences, the film will still be salvageable due to its embracing of the humour and violence that make Deadpool so iconic. It certainly has plenty of both. Unfortunately, for others, including this critic, these traits have long since worn thin. Deadpool & Wolverine is now showing in cinemas.
Since the turn of the millennium, Deadpool and Wolverine have become two of Marvel’s most iconic characters. Through Hugh Jackman’s signature work as Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ enthusiasm for Deadpool, which arguably brought the character into the mainstream zeitgeist, both characters have achieved devout fan bases in recent years. Putting the pair together in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is certainly an ambitious choice that’ll appease many excited fans. It’s just a pity that the film is rather alienating as a whole, plagued by regressive nostalgia fumes and a tired gimmick that will likely satisfy only the most zealous of fans.
Following on from Deadpool and Deadpool 2, Wade Wilson has hung up his katanas and red spandex suit. After a series of misfortunes befell him in his personal and professional life, Wilson has become content with an aimless existence, one in which his occasional meetups with friends are the only temporary solace. That is, until he is dragged from his universe to the Time Variation Authority (TVA) from the Loki TV series because, apparently, homework is now mandatory to understand these films fully. An organisation that manages timelines across the multiverse informs Wilson that his timeline is dying due to the loss of its anchor being, who just so happens to be Wolverine.
Deadpool is incentivised by the prospect of saving his timeline, but when it becomes clear that he can’t resurrect this universe’s Wolverine – due to the events of 2017’s Logan– he decides to co-opt a different Wolverine from another Universe. However, this gets both Deadpool and Wolverine trapped in a wasteland void. They seek to escape and save Deadpool’s timeline, but doing so will bring them face-to-face with the maniacal Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). She also desires to escape the void, but her motivation is, of course, to destroy rather than save.
Even among the tsunami of superhero media we’ve been subjected to in the past couple of decades, Deadpool has remained unique due to his mocking, even cynical, sense of humour and casual breaking of the fourth wall, a signature trait of his comic book stories. There are plenty of fourth-wall breaks here, too, many at the expense of Fox, the company that previously owned the rights to Deadpool before Disney bought them out. Furthermore, the franchise’s appetite for compulsive swearing and ultra-violence, be it through chopped-up limbs, disintegration, or even flaying in one instance, has been translated over, too, resulting in many creative bloodbaths. This is the first MCU film to receive a 15 certificate from the BBFC, and it earns its rating.
Yet, in being absorbed into the MCU, the Deadpool franchise seems to have lost a lot of its previous story and characters. While Deadpool is the star of the show, his films have built their own identity through their ensemble cast and individual storytelling approach. Although this film retains the humour, gore and fourth wall breaks, none of Deadpool’s allies are given much screen time, with big names like NegaSonic Teenage Warhead (Briana Hildebrand) and even his love interest Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) reduced to glorified cameos. It feels less like a Deadpool film and more like an MCU film that just happens to feature Deadpool.
The film compensates by relying on cameos and references, not just to the MCU, but to other Marvel properties that Fox once held. Outside of one clever fake-out with a prominent MCU actor, these references grow tiring very quickly. The film succumbs to a similar trap that The Super Mario Bros Movie, where half the entertainment is predicated on audiences already knowing the lore, both in the universe and behind the scenes, now that the fourth wall breaks are in play. As such, these temporary moments of coolness rapidly become shallow as the nostalgia hit wears off and the film returns to its convoluted story of timelines and violence. It’s a big cinematic in-joke.
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
For many audiences, the film will still be salvageable due to its embracing of the humour and violence that make Deadpool so iconic. It certainly has plenty of both. Unfortunately, for other audiences, including this critic, these traits have long since worn thin. The cynicism of the humour and rambunctiousness of the style are only endearing occasionally and obnoxious at all other times. The editing is particularly grating as the film emphasises how ridiculous and bloody its various sequences are, often belittling any potential sincerity that could emerge. The messy cutaways are reminiscent of 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, while the lingering crude punchlines, mocking exchanges, and Reynolds’s frankly hammy performance are difficult to stomach for those who aren’t Deadpool superfans.
It’s a shame as it has its strengths. Jackman is clearly loving every moment he’s on screen, while other performances, such as Corrin’s, deliver both comedy and intimidation well enough. Some of the jokes do work, and the central message of learning to live with the cards you’ve been dealt rather than constantly living in the shadow of what could’ve been is certainly a refreshing one. The fact that the film doesn’t seem to be tying into the wider MCU story, outside of the references, and thus could work as a standalone story, also works in its favour. But the reliance on nostalgia sinks its potential, while its remaining unique qualities have become irritating rather than charming.
Deadpool and Wolverine is tricky to grade as your enjoyment really does depend on how much of the Deadpool or Marvel Kool-Aid you like to drink. If you’ve been ride-or-die for the character or this cinematic universe, then you’ll probably have a good time with it. However, it’s a film made solely for fans, which is both a curse and a blessing. It plays like a carnival ride down memory lane, only with Deadpool as a host. It won’t do much for anyone outside of its intended demographic, rendering the overall experience hollow and only occasionally enjoyable.
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