Hooray! A new Deadpool movie. And one that has definitely been longer in the anticipation than it probably was in the making. For this isn’t just another sequel. Nor is it solely an excuse to get two of the most popular comic book characters ever into one film, appeasing two rabid fan bases at once. More than anything, it is a passing of the torch. Deadpool and Wolverine marks the end of Fox's relationship with Marvel as Disney completes its claim on all things X-Men. And while there’s certainly been some low points, their tenure over it has produced some pretty fine movies. Days of Future Past, First Class, Logan. And let’s not forget the very first X-Men all the way back in 2000 - the very film that, arguably, triggered the 25 years of comic book dominance in the box office that followed.
Bittersweet as it is, Deadpool and Wolverine doesn’t waste any time shedding any tears over Fox’s legacy. Why would it? After all, Deadpool - be it the character, his film trilogy or the entire franchise in general - isn’t often one for sentimental nonsense. So while there is some initial ribbing done at Fox’s expense - the introductory fight scene choreographed to N-Sync’s Bye Bye Bye being one pertinent example - this film’s main focus is to officially (and finally) embed the Merc with a Mouth into the MCU. And possibly Wolverine too (but more on that later).
The movie also wastes no time continuing off the back of Deadpool 2. After preventing the death of his girlfriend Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) in the last film, things are as good as they could possibly be in Wade Wilson’s life. Which is to say: meh. Having split from Vanessa and failing to convince the Avengers to bring him on as a member, Wade has now wound up stuck in a job as a used-car salesman with his friend Peter (Rob Delaney), and is much in need of a greater purpose. Such purpose soon presents itself when, in the midst of his own birthday party, he is captured by Time Variance Authority (TVA) agent Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen).
Paradox informs Deadpool that his universe is pending destruction as a part of ongoing TVA business. Deadpool’s timeline has wound up being marked for deletion after the death of its ‘anchor being’, a one-per-timeline figure whose existence keeps such universes intact. It is revealed that the ‘anchor being’ was none other than the Wolverine who died at the end of Logan. That’s right - Deadpool himself is located in the Logan timeline (which, in a weird way, explains a lot about some of the things going on in that movie).
Cleaning up dead timelines isn’t the only reason for Paradox’s actions though. He also believes that his captive has some important work to do in the so-called Sacred Timeline that the TVA are so desperate to maintain, and offers Deadpool a place in it. It’s a tempting deal - one that, according to Sacred Timeline events, would also finally land him a spot on the Avengers team. But what is life without friends and, well, your own existential origins? Instead, Deadpool refuses, escapes the TVA, and goes off on a journey across alternate universes to find a variant Wolverine that would serve as a replacement ‘anchor being’ to keep his own timeline intact.
It takes a whole lot of variants to get through - plus a whole lot of gags, cameos from other actors and reference-heavy fan servicing - before Deadpool manages to find and persuade the one Wolverine he needs to help him in his mission. Even then, this particular Wolverine he does find is a washed-up, alcoholic empty shell of his former self - supposedly the worst of any of the timelines that could be traversed. And either way, it’s not enough - Deadpool’s attempts to cheat fate ultimately see him and Logan cast down into the Void, the eternal desert wasteland that serves as the TVA’s dumping ground for anything they wish erased from time.
There, the pair soon meet Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), the condemned (but equally powerful) twin of Professor Xavier of X-Men fame. Unlike Xavier, Nova is no paragon for good. Her place in the Void is well-earned given her own desires for power, having reached a deal to oversee the Void on the TVA’s behalf. But once she learns of the TVA’s intentions to remove timelines - and especially the technology they’re using to do so - she makes plans of her own to turn the tables on the agreement and destroy all existence, save for the Void. Between Paradox’s plans for the Sacred Timeline and Nova’s own machinations, both Deadpool and Wolverine have their work cut out to save time itself - as well as put their own bickering to one side so they can actually focus on the task at hand.
Essentially, it all boils down to the same Deadpool movie shenanigans, this time with a helpful flavouring of MCU Multiverse thrown on top. In terms of the fundamentals, returning fans will not find their expectations missed here - this is still the same kind of potty-mouthed, ultra-violent, ridiculously funny movie they already know and love. The icing on the cake though is unquestionably in the sheer amount of references, cameos and other in-jokes tailored for these very same people. In fact, it’s not just icing - it’s a full-on deluge of the sweet stuff. We have the likes of Chris Evans reprising his role for a brief cameo as Johnny Storm (Fantastic Four) during the events in the Void, as well as a multitude of others either making returns or just appearing out of obligation (Wesley Snipes and Channing Tatum, to name but two). Besides being a wish-fulfilment vehicle intended to insert its main hero into the MCU, this is also going to fire up speculation for what’s down the line. And if there’s one thing that has kept Marvel’s movie run sustaining itself over the years, it’s speculation - often the wilder, the better.
Even if it is just another Deadpool movie with Marvel’s official stamp on it this time, Deadpool and Wolverine is also a much-needed return to form for the MCU in general. Reynolds is still great as the titular character and is still dealing out the tremendously irreverent one-liners on the same acerbic level of the previous two movies. Jackman also hasn’t skipped a beat with his return as Wolverine, a character that surely now ranks for him as his seminal role across a pretty stacked career. Ultimately, the film has to come down to the pair’s chemistry to succeed, so it’s just as well that they really hit it off on screen. Both actors know their characters inside out by now, and really seem to enjoy leaning into the fact that they absolutely would hate each other’s guts - at least in the early stage of acquaintance. As a result, though they come off as the kind of classic ‘odd couple’ that has been done many times before, their interactions are nonetheless frequently and side-splittingly hilarious. There’s a lot of fun and chaos in this movie, but the one most enjoyable constant remains the squabbling, all-out brawling and ultimately the unlikely alliance that forms between this unlikely duo. It’s no bromance, but it’s more than enough to keep things ticking along nicely.
Besides them, there also seems to be a genuine sense of enthusiasm from the rest of the cast in this project. Both Matthew Macfadyen and Emma Corrin are terrific in their roles as the villains of the piece, more so given their own goals lead them into direct conflict with each other. And the fleeting appearances of just so many other characters from Fox-Marvel productions past and present feel a lot more than just token gags. Crucially, there is also the return of Dafne Keen as Laura Kinney / X-23 from the Logan movie, which sees her character reunited with Jackman’s Wolverine for the first time since that very film. Not only is it great to see these two in scenes together again, but it surely means something more than just another name-drop. Much has been made of this movie being Jackman’s last hurrah as Wolverine (and there is even a nice tribute paid to his contribution to the role in the closing credits), but with these two back on screen together, could there actually be an X-Force film in the works? It’s too soon to say, but it’s easy to think that they wouldn’t pass such an opportunity up.
Still, outside of its commitments to toilet humour, super-graphic violence and checking all the required nerd-wish boxes, Deadpool and Wolverine does flag in parts. The adventure might be grand, but the plot of it is an after-thought, essentially using Marvel’s current ‘multiverse’ angle to throw expositional muck at a wall to see what sticks. What does is still somewhat cohesive and straightforward, but is mostly joined together through a myriad of jokes that are funny enough to keep viewers distracted. Its self-contained nature also means it doesn’t really make much of an impact on the current state of the MCU either. Thus, anyone who isn’t really big on the whole Deadpool thing, or are keen to see greater ripples in the larger narrative at play, are likely to be disappointed. This third instalment still very much uses the same anarchic blueprint as its predecessors, leaving non-fans with little to chew on but the occasional one-liner and the action sequences as their only sources of amusement.
On that note, the action itself is still as excellent as ever. Delightfully, it also involves as much of the cast as possible. If you wanted to see Blade go at it one more time, or Channing Tatum’s Gambit in live-action, consider your wishes granted. Another highlight, aside from the awesomely bloody, N-Sync-backed opening, is a fantastic showdown between the Deadpool Corps (an entire menagerie of Deadpools assigned from different universes, working on Nova’s behalf) and our heroes. It is every bit as madcap as you might expect, with one particular camera pan showing Deadpool and Wolverine carving through the lines of the Corps being as memorable for its dynamism as it is for the horde of different Deadpools on show from across the comic books. It’s thrilling stuff as ever. The plot might be loosely coupled, but no expense nor effort has been spared to keep this Deadpool instalment as exciting as the last two.
Ultimately, Deadpool and Wolverine does succeed in everything it sets out to do. It inducts two long-awaited characters (and their actors) under the official Marvel Studios banner. It’ll leave ardent fans whooping with glee at the sheer amount of service done in the name of references, in-jokes and character reprisals on show. And it does it all with the same kind of fourth-wall breaking shenanigans that made the previous films so successful. Most importantly though, it’s a shot in the arm for the Fifth Phase of the MCU - even if what’s being administered is a heavy dose of hype and supposition. Will we get an X-Force movie? A Gambit film at last? What about Lady Deadpool? Hell, why not a Dogpool movie? They’re all here. They’re all assembled. And Marvel’s multiverse is about to get a whole lot more interesting.
