Deadpool & Wolverine has come to save us (and Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe) from superhero fatigue. After flops like The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, that is not just the studio’s hope but an actual plot point in this Deadpool 2 sequel.
In act one, the Merc with a Mouth proudly proclaims himself the MCU’s messiah or “Marvel Jesus,” destined to return this formerly world-conquering franchise to unquestionable glory. But can a sequel saturated with IP and blatant fan service truly shake off the baggage Kevin Feige’s MCU has accumulated across 30-plus films and assorted TV shows?
To its credit, Deadpool & Wolverine does a lot to claw Disney’s expanded MCU library back into fans’ hearts. Reuniting the star power of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Deadpool & Wolverine brings scads of satisfying spectacle and welcome surprises to the big screen, along with a gleeful barrage of cameos, an avalanche of action, and a slew of R-rated jokes and f-bombs. Plus, it’s just really fucking fun. But past all the pomp and fourth-wall-breaking is Disney’s creeping influence on Marvel’s most outrageous movie hero.
Deadpool & Wolverine cherry-picks Marvel movies for a new adventure.
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Credit: Jay Maidment / 20th Century Studios / MARVEL
Superhero sequels mean retconning, and Deadpool & Wolverine uses this handy storytelling device to situate its narrative after the events of Deadpool, Deadpool 2, and Logan. So, when an overstepping Time Variance Authority agent dubbed Mr. Paradox (a deliciously deranged Matthew Macfadyen) threatens the existence of Wade “Deadpool” Wilson’s universe, the quick-witted vigilante (Reynolds) hijacks TVA tech to seek out a non-dead Wolverine (Jackman) to save the day.
You can now relive that awful 220-second ‘Succession’ argument all over again
This leads to a wonderfully bonkers montage in which Jackman reprises the role of Wolverine over and over, bringing to life a variety of comic incarnations not previously seen onscreen. But things go from team-up to trouble when Deadpool and his kidnapped Wolverine are pitched into the TVA’s wasteland. There, forgotten variants fight for survival, a clever means of resurrecting a terrific series of past Marvel characters, from the goofy to the iconic. But it also means the oft-brawling buds have to face off against Charles Xavier’s evil twin sister, Cassandra Nova (a wonderfully wicked and slinky Emma Corrin). Cassandra Nova has all kinds of deadly telekinetic powers, but she truly relishes probing her long, slender fingers INTO the brains of her lessers. And to her, everyone is a lesser.
Through this setup, the fleet of screenwriters — which is comprised of Reynolds, Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, as well as Zeb Wells and Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy — has seemingly free reign to loop in Marvel heroes and villains for a zany and convoluted adventure that actually has a budget.
Deadpool & Wolverine delivers on fan service and brutal violence.
Credit: Jay Maidment / 20th Century Studios / MARVEL
Levy, who previously helmed the Reynolds-led, video game-inspired action-comedy Free Guy, realizes what audiences want most out Deadpool & Wolverine and delivers plenty of it. Reynolds is as comfortable as ever in the snug-fitting supersuit of his wise-cracking antihero, firing off snarky asides as freely and frequently as bullets. But while Reynolds’ reliable schtick will please Deadpool fans, Jackman steadily runs away with this movie — sometimes on all fours!
Over the course of nearly 30 years, Jackman has satisfyingly flexed and glowered and gone battle-mode berserk as Wolverine, finding fresh textures of rage, regret, and tenderness along the way. That he didn’t get an Oscar nomination for Logan remains a cinematic injustice. But there’s a fresh victory in seeing the 55-year-old action star unsheathe those adamantium claws once again, as gruff and lovable as ever.
The comic sharpness to their interplay is classic vaudeville, with Deadpool as the buffoon and Wolverine the straight man. But far more intense than the slapstick between such a comedic duo are the fights; this pugnacious pair repeatedly full-on brawls with each other. Freed from the constraints of a PG-13 rating, these heroes hit hard, blood and brain matter spraying and spattering in R-rated gouts. There’s some great exchanges here, both verbally and violently. At times, the packed theater whooped in child-like anticipation as they squared off. Their intense interplay alone will likely put a big dumb grin on your face, as it did mine.
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