Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

The remarkable box office success and warm critical receptions of Deadpool & Wolverine has led many to herald the return of the MCU’s golden era. However, it is important to highlight that the success of this meta-action comedy probably has more to do with what was there before the Disney take-over.

The future of the beloved Deadpool franchise was thrown into question when Disney took over 20th Century Fox. A couple of years later, Wade Wilson (Deadpool) and Logan (Wolverine) are fighting alongside each other in the MCU, in a set that contains wreckage of the iconic 20th-century fox logo, while cracking jokes about Kevin Feige and the decline of Marvel. Even with its entrance into the MCU, the murk with the mouth has not lost its touch. 

(Credits: The Hollywood Reporter)

Deadpool & Wolverine is buoyed primarily by the performances of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, both of whom can be said to have embodied their respective character spiritually and iconically. The audience cannot imagine anyone else playing Deadpool, and whoever Marvel will replace Jackman with will have a near-impossible shoe to fill. 

Reynold’s Deadpool remains a crude jokester. I am tempted to reference one particular joke in the film’s early trailers, but I’ll leave it out to be a surprise for people avoiding trailers. Much like in his last two outings, Reynolds can handle the more serious aspects of his characters as well. In his hands, Deadpool isn’t a caricature. He’s a character.

Not much more can be said about Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. The zenith of his performance was reached in Logan but here, he shows another shade of this character. The hidden pain so often characteristic of Wolverine is present throughout. But some humor shines through. One gets the sense that Jackman is allowed to have a bit more fun here. 

Deadpool & Wolverine is full of fan service and cameos, the kinds that aren’t hollow but actually convey a message about what purpose this movie really serves. That purpose is highlighted in a very good mid-credit scene. You’ll know it when you see it.

The flaws of this film are in the plot. There are a lot of under-developed areas and over-developed areas. The story is quite uneven. Some characters are unnecessary and zap away the time we could’ve spent on more important storylines. The editing gets choppy at times, but for the most part, the actions are well-shot.