Deadpool & Wolverine

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corin, Matthew Macfadyen, Dafne Kean, Jon Favreau, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Henry Cavill (cameo), Wanai Mosaka, Aaron Standford, Tyler Mane, Stefan Kapicic (voice), Brianna Hildebrand, Karan Soni, Shioli Kutsuma, Lewi Tan, Blake Lively (voice), Nathan Fillion (voice)
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A rogue TVA agent (Matthew Macfadyen) is determined to destroy Deadpool's (Ryan Reynolds) universe and only a broken Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) can help him.

Review:

Tim: There's a lot to discuss with Deadpool & Wolverine. Shawn Levy steps in and delivers an entertaining, funny, memorable film that made a ton of money. So, there is a lot to celebrate here- this is arguably the best film in the trilogy. However, I also don't believe it's great- so now, the MCU has delivered 7 "less than great" films in a row, a streak that has stretched to over 3 years. Perhaps the series was always destined to drop beneath this threshold. However, it still feels surprising and disappointing to me.

It might be somewhat my fault for continuing to wait for the film that will "save" the Multiverse Saga for the MCU. I honestly though it would be Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Next, I prayed this one would. And, it never really tries. This is still a mostly self-contained story that pulls heavily from the Fox X-Men archives, but still barely makes a blip on the larger MCU. Maybe that expectation is unfair, so I'll try to unpack this film by itself.

I really did enjoy Deadpool & Wolverine- seeing these two iconic characters together for the first time is a dream come true for comic book fans. That's the main appeal of the film- seeing two great characters get a ton of screen time together. Now, as much as I did love their banter, it feels like the film relies so heavily on the "F" word to propel their conversations. Yes, I was as gleeful as anyone of hearing so much swearing in a Disney film, but 2+ hours of insults eventually wears a bit thin. I just wish these characters had a bit more substance at times. That being said, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman do an outstanding job of delivering great performances for these characters. They are both absolutely perfect for the characters and it's pure joy seeing them on screen. The film makes a big focus on Wolverine's comics-accurate suit (and eventually, head gear) and it's incredibly cool.

I did feel like the story felt a bit weaker. It pulls from the current MCU focus, but it left me wanting a better narrative. I'm not sure how this film connects to the larger MCU narrative (which is kind of a joke, as there truly isn't one in this disappointing phase). I don't think it moves the needle in any meaningful way. The whole idea of an "anchor being" is a terrible concept- as if universes could live and die on the shoulders of one person? Whomever they are, will eventually die anyway? It just doesn't make sense.

The film handled cameos in an interesting way. I was worried that the film would follow the recent MCU tradition of fan-service cameos that are meaningless (this is one of many faults that's wrecking the current MCU). We get flashes of that- Jon Favreau's Happy inclusion, for example. But, instead of unnecessarily playing in the MCU sandbox, the film does something that I felt was beautiful and unexpected- it gives Fox legacy characters a chance to go out in a blaze of glory. SPOILERS, but to see Jennifer Garner as Electra, Wesley Snipes reprise his role as Blade, to see X-23, to see the original Johnny Storm, and to see Channing Tatum play his failed Gambit- I thought that was pretty amazing. None of those are "big" cameos in the expected sense of the word. But, as Fox closes the final chapter on their movies, I thought it was incredible to bring these characters to the MCU for their send-off. That felt like the most special part of the film. I did not expect the movie to handle the story in that way. That's a big reason why I like the film so much.

Outside of that, the Henry Cavill cameo was brilliant and so funny. Side note, but Chris Evans' surprising inclusion was delightful and the post-credits scene with him is perhaps the best scene in the entire film. Emma Corbin made for a chilling villain. It was nice to see a lot of the crew from the first two Deadpool films make their return here, in small roles.

Deadpool & Wolverine is probably never great, but it's hilarious, wildly entertaining, and thrilling in a fan service way. It's the best film in the trilogy and another worthy MCU entry. To have a film this good as the 34th in your mega-franchise is still stunning and Marvel deserves immense credit for that. However, they set too high a bar for themselves and now are struggling to get back on top. I'm not sure when that will happen. So, while I applaud the film and admit I thoroughly enjoyed it, this isn't in my top 10 of 2024. There was a time when that would feel surprising and nearly unthinkable. Marvel continues its good streak, but it's lost its ability to deliver greatness.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Deadpool, Deadpool 2, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Electra, Blade, X2: X-Men United