When Disney got their hands on Deadpool after they acquired 20th Century Fox, many fans of the Merc with a Mouth’s raunchy film franchise were worried that given the House of Mouse’s focus on family-friendly entertainment, they would tone down the bawdy humor and ruin the fun. Considering the oversaturation and less-than-stellar reviews of recentStar Wars and Marvel projects (review bombing aside), maybe that anxiety was warranted. But to everyone’s surprise, including Ryan Reynolds, Disney gave the green light to keep the R-rated course, and we all collectively unclenched a little.
Go ahead and unclench all the way. Deadpool & Wolverine is as bloody, raucous and self-aware as it’s ever been.
Set after the events of 2017’s Logan, Deadpool & Wolverine finds the titular antihero (Reynolds) down on his luck and retired from costumed antics after being rejected by the Avengers. However, when Wolverine’s (Hugh Jackman) death results in the instability of his universe’s timeline, Wade Wilson finds himself tangled up with the Time Variance Authority (TVA) as he hops through the multiverse searching for a replacement Wolverine to prevent the TVA from culling his timeline.
Deadpool & Wolverine is everything a Marvel fan could want in a comic book movie. While the quippy, fourth-wall-breaking writing stands on its own and sells itself on the irreverent humor fans have come to expect from Deadpool, this is clearly a film for longstanding Marvel fans by longstanding Marvel fans. Reynolds and company pull out all the stops regarding the easter eggs, cameos and pop culture references. I was surprised by how deep into the 20th Century Fox canon some of the references dig, and every callback found new ways to shock and excite me and everyone else in the theater.
The same can be said about the jokes regarding the Disney-Fox merger, which are frequent and vary from overt mocking to subtle digs. These jokes might sail over the heads of those who don’t know or care about the business of Hollywood, but once again, there are more than enough jokes that don’t require you to read the entertainment trades.
And while that’s all well and good, there is one thing that fans like myself have been most excited for. With the return of Jackman from his retirement from Wolverine, the stakes for this film to do right by the character were incredibly high, especially when you factor in how perfectly poignant and emotional his send-off was in Logan. But boy, does Jackman deliver.
Unrestrained by a pesky PG-13 rating, Jackman’s performance is in keeping with the brutally violent, foul-mouthed rage he showcased in Logan. And while his penchant for stabbing is the most delightful part of seeing Wolverine on screen again, Logan is burdened with despair, world-weariness and regret. This variant of the clawed Canadian has clearly seen some awful things and has no patience for Deadpool’s shenanigans. While Wade’s quest to save his universe and loved ones provides the primary motivation for the plot, Logan’s struggle to find peace despite his sins carries the heart and emotion of the film.
As always, Ryan Reynolds brings the relentlessly chipper energy that helped make his portrayal of Wade Wilson so maniacally lovable in the first place. His performance doesn’t break any new ground or provide profound revelations of the human condition; it’s the trademark Reynolds we’ve also seen in Detective Pikachu and Green Lantern. But it’s perfect for this movie, precisely why we saw Deadpool.
Reynolds and Jackman play off each others’ energies perfectly. While this is not technically the first time the two have shared the screen as Wade and Logan, this is the first time we have seen a proper live-action team-up between Deadpool and Wolverine. Each actor has become a pop culture icon for portraying their character, Jackman for his gruff stoicism and Reynolds for his relentless quipping and upbeat delivery. They have become the definitive versions of their characters and are so at home playing them that putting the two together couldn’t help but be captivating and convincing. While Jackman does much of the work to keep the story grounded, Reynolds keeps it fun and prevents the story about dead loved ones and collapsing worlds from feeling too heavy. Neither Wolverine nor Deadpool overwhelm or drown out the other, and it is truly impressive how well they strike that delicate balance.
As good as seeing the boys get along, it’s even better when they don’t. When Deadpool and Wolverine cross blades, all bets are off as blood spills, bullets fly, and bones crunch with visceral rage as two unkillable beings seek to bring the hurt. Watching them work together is equally as thrilling as Deadpool’s varied arsenal and combat finesse, which are distinct from and complimentary to Wolverine’s brute force brawling. After all, it’s a Deadpool movie. Expect a lot of blood.
From recurring characters to cameos (I recommend avoiding IMDB and all spoilers to get the whole experience and joy of the film), Deadpool & Wolverine is a gluttonous feast of entertaining performances. I want to highlight the performances of Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen as the antagonists, Cassandra Nova and Mr. Paradox, respectively.
Corrin’s performance as the telepathic and telekinetic wasteland leader is menacing, manipulative and ever so slightly unhinged. Though they have limited screen time, the threat of Nova’s power and presence is felt throughout most of the film. Unfortunately, the final stretch of Nova’s character arc does Corrin’s acting skill a disservice, as the typical plot to end the world underscores an otherwise strong villain and renders Nova forgettable. This may essentially be the result of the film’s main draw, being its two leads getting up to superpowered mayhem, rather than the actual storyline. Macfadyen plays his role with similarly satisfying results. As the slimy, underhanded and conniving TVA agent Paradox, Macfadyen provides a fun villain in the “banality of evil” strain, a striking counterpoint to the dedicated and generally benevolent TVA agents we’re used to seeing like Mobius and OB.
On the topic of the TVA, I’m not a fan of it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With a few exceptions, like Back to the Future, I find time travel or multiverses to be a sign that a series is running out of ideas and going on life support. When I learned that the film would have a TVA-centric storyline, I was highly skeptical of how good it could be. However, Deadpool & Wolverine gives us the best look at a multiverse since Everything, Everywhere All At Once. Rather than getting bogged down with convoluted world-building and bureaucracy like theLoki series, Deadpool & Wolverine uses the TVA as a means to an end for its franchise-crossing comic character hodgepodge. It’s hilarious and visually compelling to see the variants of Wade and Logan and try to pick out the different details that make them unique. Revisiting the 20th Century Fox characters as an offshoot timeline of M MCU feels like a touch of nostalgic genius and a respectful way to honor the past Marvel films while still looking to the future.
In terms of big-name superhero slugfests turned team-ups and multiverse-spanning epics, Deadpool & Wolverine isn’t the first to do either. In recent history, DC Comics got there first with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and The Flash. However, this proves that being first doesn’t necessarily mean being the best. Look at any concept that DC tried with either of these tentpole films, and Deadpool & Wolverine does it better and has more of it. Case in point: Batman v Superman features one very short brawl between its big heroes, primarily remembered for its poorly executed end (“Martha!”). Deadpool & Wolverine has multiple fights of satisfying duration between its title characters. The Flash‘s cameos and references to DC projects throughout history were mainly enjoyable. Marvel said, “Hold my drink,” and effortlessly folded beloved and nearly forgotten characters into the story. In terms of superhero films, Marvel is still firmly holding the crown and is just flexing at this point.
Deadpool & Wolverine is not only one of Marvel’s best films but one of the best comic book films in general. The movie is filled to the brim with edge-of-your-seat action and rapid-fire, irreverent comedy. Some film franchises don’t know how to quit when they’re ahead, but if this is a reliable indication of what Deadpool can do in Disney’s hands, I sure hope we see Wade and Logan again soon.
Rating: 9/10