Published on
Whether Deadpool would join the MCU after Disney’s acquisition of Fox was a question that lingered in the minds of many fans. On one hand, Deadpool had been a huge moneymaker for Fox; on the other, his R-rated antics seemed out of place in Disney’s family-friendly Marvel films. Yet, here we are—six long years later—with one of the most anticipated movies of 2024: Deadpool & Wolverine.
In “Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024), Wade Wilson (Deadpool) is pulled from his quiet post-retirement life by the Time Variance Authority (TVA). He embarks on a chaotic, multiversal journey where he encounters a prime variant of Wolverine, Logan. Initially at odds, the two ultimately team up to stop a larger threat to the multiverse. The TVA reveals that Deadpool’s actions could have catastrophic effects on the timeline, driving the story into a battle against time and new villains like Cassandra Nova.
All of the “Deadpool” movies essentially serve as redemption stories for characters previously mishandled by movie studios. The first film redeemed Deadpool himself after the character’s botched portrayal in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine“. It also finally gave the classic X-Men character, Colossus, some proper screen time, following his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos in the original X-Men trilogy. “Deadpool 2” redeemed Juggernaut and introduced fan-favorite characters like Cable and the X-Force.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” continues the trend of redemption and fan service, most notably with Wolverine finally donning his comic book-accurate suit. But it doesn’t stop there—fans are treated to Deadpool and Wolverine variants, along with several characters returning from Marvel movies of the 1990s and 2000s. Even Gambit appears, played by Channing Tatum, perfectly in line with the long-standing casting rumors from the past decade. This might be the closest we’ll ever get to a Channing Tatum “Gambit” movie, and honestly, that might be for the best. His accent is all over the place and sometimes downright incomprehensible.
Despite being a cameo-filled love letter to the pre-MCU era of Marvel movies, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is surprisingly standalone. The only real tie to the MCU is the inclusion of the TVA from the “Loki” TV show, with Deadpool even referencing a specific episode. However, you don’t need to have watched “Loki” to understand the TVA’s role. A few lines of dialogue quickly explain that they guard multiverse timelines, and that’s all you need to know. The film also lacks a post-credits scene teasing future storylines or characters, which, after more than 15 years of Marvel’s post-credit setups, actually feels refreshing.
The weakest aspect of “Deadpool & Wolverine”—aside from Channing Tatum’s Gambit—is the plot. The story provides only the bare minimum you’d expect from a Deadpool movie, mainly serving as a vehicle to cram in as many cameos and sight gags as possible. While most of these land, they elicited more chuckles than actual laugh-out-loud moments. As a villain, Cassandra Nova is a decent addition, and the unsettling things she does with her fingers are hard to watch. However, she’s far from topping the list of the MCU’s best villains.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is essentially “Fan-service: The Movie”—and I mean that in a good way. In recent years, studios have been appointing activist filmmakers to create movies that cater to the so-called modern audience. Whether this modern audience actually exists is up for debate, but they certainly haven’t turned up for Marvel films packed with feminist themes, LGBTQ+ characters, and diverse casts. The last few years have been disastrous for Marvel, with movies like “Eternals” and “The Marvels” underperforming, if not outright flopping. Yet, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is one of this year’s biggest box office hits, starring two middle-aged white men with athletic physiques. As Senator Palpatine said in “Revenge of the Sith”: “It’s ironic.”
