The Merc with the Mouth is back, and this time he’s brought a friend.  But can “Deadpool & Wolverine” actually save the MCU, or will this be another muddling multiverse mishap?

It’s been 15 years since Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman first teamed up as their iconic characters in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”  Reynolds has had a long running joke that he’d like to team up with Jackman now that the Deadpool character has been given the respect he deserves.  But after the title character’s death in the exceptional “Logan” and Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, it seemed as if this dream team was an impossibility.

With the exception of a few unique Disney+ series, the MCU has been in shambles since 2019’s “Endgame.”  Each subsequent movie has played it too safe, or been too isolated to have any impact on the Marvel world.  The term “Superhero Fatigue” is thrown around a lot, but more accurately it’s fatigue from studios playing it safe.  What better way to shake things up than to allow the two guys who have two of the most successful R-rated comic book movies of all time, create the first R-Rated film in the MCU?

Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy are well aware of the situation they are in.  This is a dream come true, a hail Mary pass at a time when the MCU is at its lowest. (“Deadpool & Wolverine is the only MCU movie releasing in 2024!)  They’re also aware that fans are a fickle bunch.  While fans may be tired of all the cookie-cutter movies, they’re also fiercely protective of the lore they love.  One question that has been on the mind of everyone is how Wolverine can come back without disrespecting his memory?  The quick answer is the same as every other movie recently, “The Multiverse.”  The better answer comes during the pre-title sequence which quickly devolves into the goriest dance sequence I’ve ever seen.  These guys are take the R-Rating seriously.

To avoid spoilers, only the most basic of plot can be revealed here.  Wade Wilson is suffering a mid-life crisis, there is a world ended event approaching that Wolverine might be able to subvert, but Wolverine is dead.  The Time Variance Authority gets involved (See Loki Season One) and Deadpool soon finds himself stranded to the void, where he encounters Professor X’s cruel twin, Cassandra (Emma Corrin) who was also banished there.   It’s pretty standard comic-book fare, but seen through the Deadpool lens, it becomes far more entertaining than perhaps it deserves to be.

We get the uber-meta, fourth-wall-breaking antics that we’ve become accustomed to in the two previous “Deadpool” movies.  We also get plenty of the Merc’s unending sarcasm, but thankfully this time it’s tempered with Wolverine’s presence.   When the non-stop immaturity becomes a bit grating, Wolverine steps in and tells him to shut up. (Or violently beats him till he does.)  Every comedy needs a straight man, and I can’t think of a better foil for Wade than Logan.  It’s also interesting to see how similar these two characters are.  They are both in deep emotional pain, but one masks it with humor while the other resorts to anger and alcohol.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is the least accessible of the three movies, as some of the best jokes, and cameos, rely on extensive comic knowledge.  It’s 100%, unapologetic, unadulterated, fan service.  The term “fan service” can be used as a negative, but framed within this movie, and used with some substance, it’s pretty great.  The handful of cameos that show up work exponentially better than those who popped up in “Multiverse of Madness.”  (Avoid IMDB and social media in general if you don’t want them spoiled.)

With nonstop humor, excellent fight scenes, buckets of blood, and more ‘Pool variants than you could beat off, “Deadpool & Wolverine” delivers.  It may not be enough to save the MCU, but it’s certainly the best Marvel film in years.

Deadpool & Wolverine
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