If you thought “Deadpool & Wolverine” would take its time to showcase its biggest draw – Hugh Jackman’s return to his X-Men roots – you were mistaken. Shaun Levy’s threequel jumps straight into action, with Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool digging up Logan’s grave in the opening moments. It’s a wickedly irreverent start to a film that’s equally brash, bloody, and funny. However, Logan’s body is long gone, leaving only a skeleton – a fitting metaphor for the remnants of past glories. For all its jabs at Marvel, this Mercenary doesn’t have the magic solution for long-term revitalization.
The film inherits many of the same issues plaguing recent MCU releases since “Endgame”. Jokes about lengthy runtimes, excessive cameos, and nonsensical plots don’t necessarily fix those problems. While a lot of the humor hits hard, there’s an underlying sense of overindulgence in film references. When Deadpool tells Wolverine that he’s joining the team “at a low point,” he’s not wrong. As funny as the line is, it raises the question of whom or what the audience is laughing at – the characters or the fading glory of the franchise itself? The box office decline of “The Marvels” speaks volumes about the current state of things.
That said, Deadpool is fully aware of the studio’s recent misfires. It’s his thing – breaking the fourth wall with a wink before smashing it to pieces. This is done with plenty of sharp humor, with standout moments like the satirical execution of a Marvel legend due to budget cuts and the sight of a giant 20th Century Fox logo, half-buried in a “Mad Max”-style wasteland. As the first Disney-produced X-Men film, “Deadpool & Wolverine” pulls no punches, with Deadpool dubbing himself “Marvel Jesus” early on.
The film begins with Deadpool in retirement, having been rejected by Avengers mainstay Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau). This rejection leaves him disillusioned, and the emotional weight of feeling irrelevant actually works well in the story. Wade is now working at a car dealership with his best friend Peter (Rob Delaney), who still believes there’s unfinished Deadpool business. Things take a turn when Wade is kidnapped from his own birthday party by TVA bigwig Mr. Paradox (played with campy flair by Matthew Macfadyen), who’s on a recruitment mission similar to Loki’s.
Paradox’s goal is to shut down Wade’s reality – his variant timeline. Logan’s death has destabilized the timeline, and it’s on the verge of collapse. Refusing to accept this, Wade seeks out an alternate Logan from another timeline, but they both end up in the TVA’s garbage dump, “the Void.” From there, the plot mirrors “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, with both its ups and downs. Like “Quantumania”, the film revels in limitless possibilities but lacks a sense of gravity. The stakes are low, and the flippant tone means there’s little real danger, as it’s clear the heroes will survive.
There’s also a risk of the film becoming overly self-satisfied. It assumes viewers are familiar with the MCU, and without that context, much of the dialogue and action might be confusing. Cameos, Easter eggs, and inside jokes are crammed in, sometimes to the detriment of the story standing on its own. This isn’t a character study where you come away understanding the leads more deeply. Much like “Thelma & Louise”, they escape the Void not significantly changed but having had a lot of fun along the way.
Conclusion
Ultimately, “Deadpool & Wolverine” will still entertain its core audience, which remains substantial. But there’s a sense that the fun comes with caveats. Deadpool is no longer an outlier in the MCU, and while remaking the franchise in his irreverent image has its appeal, it also carries risks. The closing credits pay homage to the Fox era, revealing a softer side beneath the snark and a preoccupation with the past. When Reynolds jokes with Jackman about Disney making him work until he’s 90, it’s a laugh tinged with truth – just look at Dick Van Dyke.
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