Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE
Starring Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson / Deadpool), Hugh Jackman (Logan / Wolverine), and Emma Corrin (Cassandra Nova), with Leslie Ugamms (Blind Al), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa Carlysle), Rob Delaney (Peter), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Stefan Kapicic (the Voice of Colossus), Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio), Randal Reeder (Buck), Lewis Tan (Shatterstar), and Wunmi Mosaku (Hunter B-15), and introducing Matthew Macfadyen as Agent Paradox and with additional appearances by Dafnee Keen (Lauera / X-23), Jennifer Garner (Elektra), Wesley Snipes (Blade), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm / The Human Torch), and Channing Tatum (Remy Lebeau / Gambit)
Directed by Shawn Levy
Produced by Kevin Feige, Lauren Shuler Donner, Shawn Levy, and Ryan Reynolds
Written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Ryan Reynolds, and Zeb Wells with Shawn Levy
Music By Rob Simonsen
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios
Run Time: 2 hours and 8 minutes
World Premier: July 22, 2004 (New York)
Opening Weekend Box Office: $211 million (United States)
Worldwide Box Office: $1.3 billion
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Fun Deadpool and Wolverine Facts
Deadpool and Wolverine is a film with deep roots in the 13 live action movies that comprised Fox’s X-Men film Universe from 2000-2020. Many have in fact labeled Deadpool and Wolverine as a love letter to that Universe and its rich legacy within not only the world of comic book movies, but specifically within the world of Marvel movies. It’s been 25-years since Fox’s first X-Men film commenced filming (September 22, 1999, to be exact) and it is often pointed to as the launching pad for live action Marvel adaptations (though New Line Cinema’s Blade was released two years before 2000’s X-Men, the X-Men film was much more of a “superhero” movie). The importance of 2000’s X-Men therefore cannot be overstated.
Anticipation for 2000’s X-Men was extremely high throughout the comic book community, as evident by its monstrous opening weekend numbers. With $57 million at the United States box office, X-Men set a new opening weekend record for superhero movies, eclipsing the previous record holder Batman Forever ($53 million). X-Men finished its theatrical run with $296 million worldwide and it was the ninth highest-grossing film of the year.
The reason there was so much anticipation for X-Men was due to the immense popularity of Marvel’s mutants within the comics and the widespread love for X-Men: The Animated Series, which aired on the Fox Kids Network from 1992-1997. The X-Men were created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963. The original team was comprised of Cyclops, Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Beast, Angel, and Iceman and was overseen by Professor Charles Xavier. Early X-Men stories saw The X-Men at odds with Magneto and his “Brotherhood of Evil Mutants” (Toad, Mastermind, Quicksilver, and The Scarlet Witch). Both of these rosters would expand astronomically as the comics went on and numerous new mutants were created to stand on either side of the ongoing conflict. X-Men comics unabashedly served as a vehicle through which writers and artists could condemn prejudice and racism, and this made it easy for countless fans to relate to the stories and the characters within them. No one captured that spirit more than writer Chris Claremont, who after helping revolutionize Marvel’s mutants in 1975, would spend the next 17-years of his life authoring the adventures, the trials, and the tribulations of The X-Men, penning acclaimed story arcs such as God Loves … Man Kills, The Dark Phoenix Saga, and Days of Future Past. Claremont furthermore created popular characters such as Rogue, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde, Mystique, William Stryker, Emma Frost, Cannonball, Warpath, Wolfsbane, Sabretooth, Sebastian Shaw, Pyro, Legion, Mister Sinister, and Gambit. Claremont’s run wrapped around the time that X-Men: The Animated Series debuted and for five-years, said series thrilled fans by presenting several popular mutant characters and adapting many of the X-Men’s most beloved stories. The final episode of the initial run of X-Men: The Animated Series aired in the Fall of 1997.
There have been numerous contributors to the lore of The X-Men and related characters over the years, but there are six that I must mention for this specific post and that’s Len Wein, John Romita Jr, Herb Trimpe, Roy Thomas, Fabian Nicieza, and Rob Liefeld. Wein, Romita, Trimpe, and Thomas created Wolverine together in 1974. Nicieza and Liefeld created Deadpool together in 1991. Wolverine and Deadpool have gone on to become arguably Marvel’s two most popular mutants; Wolverine as a recurring member of The X-Men and Deadpool as a fringe comedy character. Both Deadpool and Wolverine have been the subjects of some of Marvel’s more mature stories as they are amongst Marvel’s most violent characters. Stories revolving around Wolverine tend to be on the serious and oftentimes tragic side, while stories revolving around Deadpool are satire in nature and grounded in humor. I do have some recommendations for those interested in the comics that I believe would be worth your time. For Wolverine, I recommend Origin by Paul Jenkins and Joe Quesada, Weapon X by Barry Windsor Smith, Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, Enemy of the State by Mark Millar with John Romita Jr and Klaus Janson, Old Man Logan by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven, Death of Wolverine by Charles Soule and Steve McNiven, and pretty much Jason Aaron’s entire run. For Deadpool, you can’t go wrong with anything written by Joe Kelly, and Cable and Deadpool by Fabian Nicieza is 50-issues of Deadpool goodness, and Deadpool by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn is phenomenal! Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe is probably my single favorite Deadpool story (by Cullen Bunn with Dalibor Talajic) while Spider-Man and Deadpool is damn near perfection. There are numerous other Team-Up / Showdown titles featuring Deadpool with and against other Marvel characters that are also highly entertaining!
Back to 2000’s X-Men, this film to this day feels like a modern Marvel movie in many ways. We were introduced to several captivating characters, a complex friendship-turned rivalry due to differing philosophies between two people (Xavier and Magneto) that see themselves as doing what is best for mutantkind, and there was even a Stan Lee cameo! 2000’s X-Men also happens to be the first Marvel movie that some guy named Kevin Feige worked on! Yes, X-Men was made with input from an upstart Marvel Studios, which was in those days led by Avi Arad. 20th Century Fox had acquired the film and licensing rights to Marvel’s mutants in the mid-1990’s, and Marvel sold these rights in an effort to stay afloat as they faced potential bankruptcy. While Fox distributed X-Men, Marvel Studios assisted in a production role that gave them a say in the script-writing process, the hiring of directors, and in casting. Three weeks into filming 2000’s X-Men, actor Hugh Jackman suited up as Wolverine. Dougray Scott had initially been cast for the role but had to back out due to scheduling conflicts.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Fox would go on to make two more X-Men films with Marvel Studios: 2003’s highly praised X2: X-Men United, and 2006’s heavily criticized (but highly profitable) X-Men: The Last Strand. In the meantime, Marvel Enterprises became Marvel Entertainment; a reflection of the company’s new initiative to finance its own motion pictures through Marvel Studios. Beyond X-Men: The Last Stand, the working agreement between Marvel Studios and Fox on the production of X-Men films as it had once been ceased to exist as the Marvel Studios team concentrated on the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe while Fox’s team did their own thing. A fourth X-Men film was released by Fox in 2009: the heavily criticized X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which featured the underwhelming live action debut of Deadpool. After the Origins film, a decision was made by Fox to reboot the franchise with 2011’s excellent X-Men: First Class. 2013 then saw the release of The Wolverine, and then in 2014, the past and present X-Men Cinematic mythologies collied in the extraordinary X-Men: Days of Future Past. Ensuing X-Men films by Fox included 2016’s Deadpool (in which Fox finally got Deadpool right), the divisive X-Men: Apocalypse, and then 2017’s critically acclaimed Logan, which was intended to be Hugh Jackman’s final performance as the Wolverine character.
Meanwhile, after replacing the departing Avi Arad as Marvel Studios President in 2007, Kevin Feige embarked upon a journey that would literally revolutionize Hollywood with the creation of the immensely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, there were some missteps along the way, but 2008’s Iron Man was the perfect foundation upon which the MCU was built and 2012’s The Avengers was the biggest comic book movie hit of all-time up to that point. The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Studios with it at the end of 2009, and as the MCU continued to grow, Kevin Feige accumulated more respect and more power at Disney, and by 2017, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a juggernaut as fans and critics alike continuously gushed over Marvel Studios productions and the MCU grew to boast four billion-dollar films (The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Captain America: Civil War) as well as a number of critical darlings (Iron Man, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok). As evident by that list, Marvel Studios had also negotiated a lucrative deal with Sony Pictures (who owned the Spider-Man licensing rights in the same way that Fox owned the rights to The X-Men) that would bring Spider-Man (Marvel’s most popular character) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016.
From there, on December 17, 2017, The Walt Disney Company announced that an agreement had been reached with 20th Century Fox that would see Disney acquire Fox’s television and film divisions, among other things. The lucrative Fox deal therefore landed the film rights to Marvel’s mutants under the Disney / Marvel Studios umbrella and promised to bring The X-Men, Wolverine, and Deadpool (and The Fantastic Four with them) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fox shareholders unanimously approved the transaction on July 27, 2018, and the deal was finalized on March 20, 2019. In the meantime, Deadpool 2 was released theatrically in 2018, performing as well as its predecessor, followed by the disappointing Dark Phoenix in 2019, and then New Mutants in 2020. New Mutants was released during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic and at $49 million was the lowest-grossing X-Men film of all-time. New Mutants marked the thirteenth and the last X-Men project produced by the previous regime at Fox.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
From the moment that the Fox deal was announced, MCU fans began anticipating the arrival of mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It would be three years removed from the closing of the deal before this would come to be, however. During that time, the MCU would be established as the highest-grossing film franchise of all-time, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame would (temporarily) become the highest-grossing movie of all-time, and Marvel Studios President Kevin Fiege would be promoted to the position of Marvel Entertainment Chief Creative Officer. The MCU furthermore grew to boast ten billion-dollar films, with Black Panther ($1.3 billion), Avengers: Infinity War ($ 2 billion), Captain Marvel (1.1 billion), Avengers: Endgame (well over $2 billion), Spider-Man: Far From Home ($1.1 billion), and Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.9 billion) joining The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Captain America: Civil War. The first hint at what could be to come came on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, when Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi unveiled a trailer for their upcoming film Free Guy (starring Reynolds and directed by Waititi) in the form of a promotional short with Reynolds in-character as Deadpool and Waititi in-character as Korg (whom he had portrayed in the Marvel Studios films Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame). During the vignettes, Deadpool is seen asking Korg how he can get into the MCU (a theme that would be paid off in Deadpool and Wolverine). In the meantime, Free Guy (released on August 13, 2021) ended up directly referencing the MCU, complete with a cameo by Chris Evans, who portrayed Steve Rogers / Captain America in ten Marvel Studios films from 2011-2019, who humorously reacts to the sight of Reynolds’ character wielding a version of Captain America’s iconic shield in the movie.
On October 1, 2021, with the release of Sony Pictures’ Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the MCU was changed forever as Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock / Venom was transported into the MCU 616-Universe from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. This was the first official instance of a character crossing over from one Cinematic Universe into the MCU, complete with its previously established history. This trend continued in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker, Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker, Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn, Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius, Thomas Hayden Chruch’s Sandman, Rhys Ifans’ Lizard, and Jamie Fox’s Max Dillon all getting transported into the MCU as well from various Spider-Man films produced by Sony. These events set the precedent for Deadpool’s eventual arrival into the MCU from the Fox X-Men Universe in Deadpool and Wolverine.
In 2022’s Marvel Studios film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, mutants at long last formally arrived to the MCU … well, sort of. For that film, Marvel Studios brought back Patrick Stewart from the Fox films to reprise his role as Charles Xavier / Professor X under the Marvel Studios banner. This Variant version of Stewart was not only the leader of The X-Men, but also an esteemed member of The Illuminati, but resided in the MCU 838-Universe and not in the MCU 616-Universe, which is where Marvel Studios’ films and shows primarily take place. Stewart’s Xavier did, however, mingle with the MCU 616-Universe’s Doctor Stephen Strange (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch), who visited the MCU 838-Universe in the film. Following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, mutants began to slowly but surely pop-up in other MCU projects produced by Marvel Studios. The first case of this was in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel where young Kamala Khan was revealed to be a mutant (complete with the brief yet familiar theme of X-Men: The Animated Series). Next, in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the Namor character was referred to as a mutant. Charles Xavier. Kamala Khan. Namor. 2002 was the year of the mutant, but the biggest story pertaining to mutants in the MCU came outside the goings on of Kevin Feige’s Cinematic Universe. On September 27, 2022, actor Ryan Reynolds publicly announced that Deadpool 3 would be produced by Marvel Studios and would officially bring Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reynolds furthermore announced that none other than Hugh Jackman would return to the role of Wolverine for the film! On top of all of that, on July 22, 2022, Deadpool and Deadpool 2 became available to stream on the Disney+ platform in the United States; the first R-rated titles (along with Logan) to appear on the service.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Deadpool and Wolverine was significantly hindered by the Hollywood Actors and Writers Strikes of 2023. The strikes delayed production as filming had started before the strikes and could not finish until they were resolved. The strikes caused several delays throughout the industry and Deadpool and Wolverine ended up being Marvel Studios’ only theatrical release of 2024. The strikes were not the only concern that Marvel Studios had been forced to deal with either. Since 2019, the MCU had suffered through what amounted to a rather tumultuous roller coaster ride. There had been celebratory high’s: the critical success of Disney+ series’ such as WandaVision, Loki: Season One, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel, and the financial successes of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, there had also been uncharacteristic lows: divisive films such as Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, along with divisive Disney+ shows such as She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Secret Invasion. As critics used terms such as “Superhero Fatigue” to explain the decline in the MCU’s popularity, a vocal minority of angry fans countered that the MCU had become too “woke” and that creators had become more concerned with inclusion and diversity than they were with telling good stories. Former and returning Disney CEO Bob Iger (retired in 2020 and returned in 2022) insisted that the truth was that Marvel Studios had simply been stretched too thin during his absence and that quantity had eclipsed quality. Iger promised to reverse that trend immediately. Iger’s words registered with MCU fans and critics alike, but Quantity over Quality and Actors and Writers Strikes weren’t the only things that contributed to the roller coaster ride that MCU fans had experienced. There was also the aforementioned Global Pandemic, which shutdown productions, theaters, and conventions, and killed millions. There was also the shocking death of Chadwick Boseman, the MCU’s beloved Black Panther on August 28, 2020. There was also the falling out between Marvel Studios and longtime executive Victoria Alonso, which resulted in her leave. Oh, and the intended Big Bad of Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga: Kang the Conqueror portrayed by Jonathan Majors? He got himself arrested and was later convicted of assault and harassment and was consequently fired by Marvel Studios. So, yeah. Coming into the release of Deadpool and Wolverine, Marvel Studios very much needed a win.
The first teaser trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine aired during Super Bowl LVIII (which saw Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers in overtime by a final score of25-22), revealing that the TVA (Time Variance Authority) would have a significant presence in the film and with Deadpool referring to himself as “Marvel Jesus”, the MCU’s savior. A second trailer aired in the Spring of 2024, set to the tune of Madonna’s Like a Prayer, and featuring lots of Wolverine action. That trailer was followed by a final (and far more emotional) trailer a few days before the release of the film which featured footage from Fox’s previous X-Men films and revealed the return of Daphne Keen’s X-23 from Logan.
Deadpool and Wolverine is in many ways a sequel to the two Seasons of Loki that were produced by Marvel Studios for Disney+ in 2021 and 2023. The TVA, Alioth, the Void, the pruning of Multiversal Variants and Branched Timelines, and the Sacred Timeline itself are plot points from Deadpool and Wolverine that were either introduced or expanded upon during the Loki series. If you want further details, you can check out my reviews of both Seasons of Loki. Season One can be found under the “MCU Phase 4” dropdown menu while Season Two can be found in the “MCU Phase 5” dropdown menu.
Deadpool is a character that boasts the unique ability to “Break the Fourth Wall”, which allows him to talk directly to us, the viewers, while also boasting knowledge pertaining to his own adventures as films and the happenings of events seen in other productions. How this works or how it came to be is never explained from a narrative standpoint in either of the first two Deadpool films, nor this one, but Wade Wilson is not the only MCU character with this ability, as Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk (who debuted in 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) boasts this ability as well.
In Deadpool and Wolverine, actress Emma Corrin portrays Cassandra Nova, the primary antagonist of the film. The character was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly for Marvel Comics in 2001, debuting in New X-Men # 114. Cassandra is the biological twin sister of Charles Xavier and is something known as a Mummudrai and she boasts powerful psychic abilities, akin to Charles. In one of Marvel’s wilder origin stories, Cassandra attempted to kill Charles while they were both in their mother’s womb, but Charles successfully defended himself and Cassandra was delivered stillborn. Cassandra’s spirit somehow managed to survive and to eventually create a body for herself. Her rivalry with Charles is referenced in Deadpool and Wolverine.
Deadpool and Wolverine features numerous characters and actors from Marvel Studios’ pre-MCU era. Actors who reprised major roles included Wesley Snipes as Blade (from New Line Cinema’s Blade films from 1998-2004), Jennifer Garner (from Fox’s Daredevil and Elektra films in 2003 and 2005), Laura / X-23 (from 2017’s Logan), and Chris Evans from Fox’s Fantastic Four films in 2005 and 2007. Deadpool’s unabashed respect for Captain America (which is true to the comics) is noted in Deadpool and Wolverine and adds to the fun moment when Steve Rogers actor Chris Evans’ character reveals himself in the Void to be Johnny Storm.
Deadpool and Wolverine was the 34th MCU theatrical release produced by Marvel Studios. Deadpool and Wolverine was furthermore Marvel Studios’ first Rated-R theatrical release and 2nd MCU production intended for mature audiences following 2024’s Disney+ series Echo. Deadpool and Wolverine marks Hugh Jackman’s landmark 10th appearance as Logan / Wolverine in live action films following X-Men, X2: X-Men: United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class, The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Logan.
Deadpool and Wolverine achieved the highest-grossing opening weekend for an R-rated film in the history of Cinema, grossing over $200 million in the United States and over $400 million in worldwide totals. This made Deadpool and Wolverine the sixth best opening all-time for a Marvel Studios MCU production, following Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
In Deadpool and Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson / Deadpool frequently refers to himself as “Marvel Jesus”, suggesting that he has come to save the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though this is used as a meta joke, Deadpool’s nickname may actually be appropriate, given the success of his film. Deadpool and Wolverine was Marvel Studios’ first theatrical release since The Marvels, which grossed a mere $206 million worldwide, the lowest grossing MCU film ever produced by Marvel Studios. Releasing eight months later, Deadpool and Wolverine doubled the box office take of The Marvels in its first week and became the first Marvel Studios film to gross $1 billion since Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, emerging as Marvel Studios’ 11th billion-dollar film and establishing itself as the highest grossing R-rated movie of all-time as well as the seventh highest grossing Marvel Studios MCU film ever behind only Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Black Panther.
Deadpool and Wolverine on Blu-ray, DVD, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 22, 2024, before dropping on Disney+ on November 12, 2024.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
My Deadpool and Wolverine Review
One thing coming into this film that was proudly promised by all involved was that the end of 2017’s Logan and the conclusion to the story of that version of Wolverine which had entertained audiences for 17-years, would not be undone. All parties involved stayed true to that promise, but that never meant that Deadpool wasn’t going to have some fun with it! Deadpool and Wolverine opens in that snowy forest where The Wolverine (Weapon X) took his last breath, dying while holding the hand of his daughter Laura (X-23). There, Deadpool, convinced that Logan can’t actually die, digs up the rotting corpse of The Wolverine, only to discover that yes, Logan really is dead and there is no coming back. As a frustrated Deadpool comes to terms with this disturbing fact, he proceeds to carry out a disturbing act when he is confronted by Agents of the TVA. To the tune of Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC, Deadpool desecrates Wolverine’s corpse, wielding his adamantium bones as weapons against the TVA Agents. As the fight escalates, Deadpool turns to narrator and takes us as viewers back to how and why he found himself at that grave in search of The Wolverine.
Flashback to the Spring of 2018, mere weeks before Thanos’ invasion of Earth and we see Wade Wilson in the MCU 616-Universe! Yes, this historic moment actually happens near the beginning of the film! At the end of Deadpool 2, Wade commandeered Cable’s Time Travel device and proceeded to make several changes to his Timeline, undoing a lot of the recent tragedy that had befallen him. I was under the assumption heading into this movie that Deadpool’s actions would result in his encounter with the TVA, but as it turns out, TVA Agent Paradox couldn’t have cared less about Deadpool’s antics. More on that in a bit.
Deadpool ended up using Cable’s device to jump to the MCU 616-Universe, venturing to Avengers Tower with hopes of meeting Tony Stark / Iron Man and of being welcomed to join The Avengers. This has become the primary goal in Deadpool’s life, and it is what drives him. He wants to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he wants to be a hero. An Avenger. Instead of meeting with Tony Stark however, Wade meets with Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan and Happy isn’t very impressed by Wade nor his resume. Hogan denies Deadpool a place on the team (which looking back, sure could have used him around this time) and a dejected Wade jumps back to his Universe: Earth-10005, where he fumbles through depression and lack of motivation, ultimately taking a job as a used car salesman and losing his relationship with his beloved Vanessa due to his overbearing lack of ambition.
Everything changes for Deadpool however, when the TVA come knocking at his door, interrupting his surprise birthday party that his friends Vanessa, Peter, Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Yukio, Blind Al, Dopinder, Shatterstar, and Buck (characters that everyone who saw the first two Deadpool movies should recognize) had thrown for him. Wade is swiftly taken into TVA custody after mistaking the Agents for hired entertainment at his party and he is taken before TVA Agent Paradox.
Paradox explains to Wade that he wants to hire Deadpool to destroy the 10005-Universe, or more directly, put said Universe out of Paradox’s misery. For Paradox has been assigned to oversee the imminent destruction of Earth-10005, which has already commenced and could take up to 2,000 years to finish, according to Paradox. The reason for this has nothing to do with anything that Wade has done. It’s actually due to the death of Wolverine. As it turns out, Wolverine is something called an “Anchor Being”, something that every Universe has and someone who’s life is essential to the continued existence of their Universe. This more or less serves as a meta commentary from Marvel Studios to suggest that Fox’s X-Men film Universe could never have survived without a Wolverine, and in-Universe, it’s quite literal. Earth-10005 was doomed the moment that Logan took his final breath. Agent Paradox offers Wade a life upon the Sacred Timeline and the chance to become an Avenger if he agrees to work with him, going so far as to show Deadpool video montages of MCU 616 characters and even a moment from Wade’s presumed future in which he appears to be dying while being comforted by Thor!
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Obviously, Deadpool wants for all of this to be real, and there is a remarkable moment in which he literally commandeers the lens through which we as viewers are watching and denounces Fox before exclaiming that he’s “going to Disneyland.” Deadpool is enthusiastically fitted for a new super suit and armed with adamantium swords, but to say that he is deeply troubled by the nature of the job would be a gross understatement, as after hearing the details pertaining to the fate of his native Timeline, Wade rebelliously breaks Paradox’s nose and commandeers a TemPad with hopes of traversing the Multiverse in search of a new Wolverine that can replace his Timeline’s departed Anchor.
We see several Wolverine Variants during Wade’s journey, with most of them portrayed by Hugh Jackman, including a comic book accurate short version, and Wade also meets a Wolverine Variant portrayed by Warner Brothers’ former Superman: Henry Cavill, and yes, Wade does take a moment to throw a little shade at DC! We also get a far-too-brief tease of a Wolverine vs Hulk fight, complete with Hulk’s face reflected in Wolverine’s claws; one of the most iconic comic book images in the history of Marvel! Ultimately, Wade lands on a Wolverine Variant that he thinks can serve his purpose and takes the Logan Variant back to the TVA. There, Agent Paradox scoffs at Wade’s efforts, labeling this particular Wolverine as the “worst” Wolverine Variant of all, hinting at the fact that he’d let his entire home Universe down and had been reduced to a drunken and embittered recluse. A confrontation soon brews, and both Deadpool and his Wolverine of choice are pruned and transported to the Void.
There, Wade and Logan fight it out in violent and gory fashion and soon encounter A LOT of faces that will be familiar to Fox X-Men film fans! There’s Tyler Mane reprising his role as Sabretooth from 2000’s X-Men along with Toad, there’s Aaron Stanford reprising his role as Pyro from X2 and The Last Stand, there’s Azazel from X-Men: First Class, and there’s the Juggernaut (presented in the spirit of the version of the character seen in X-Men: The Last Stand), plus many more! These villains all work for a powerful woman named Cassandra Nova who has managed to tame the Cloud Monster Alioth while maintaining a working agreement with the TVA that allows her to essentially rule the Void. Cassandra is an immensely powerful psychic, and she is the biological sister of some Multiversal Variant of Charles Xavier.
Wolverine swiftly decapitates Sabretooth and he and Deadpool encounter a heroic member of the Void’s Resistance against Cassandra, and it’s none other than Chris Evans! In an absolutely perfect sequence, Wade believes that he has found a Variant of Captain America but realizes how wrong that he is upon the words “Flame On!” by Evans. This is not Steve Rogers! It’s Johnny Storm / The Human Torch in a reprisal by Evans of his roles in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer! After Johnny is taken down by Pyro, an unimpressed Deadpool is taken into custody and taken to Cassandra along with Johnny Storm and Logan.
Deadpool and Wolverine quickly come to realize just how powerful Cassandra is when she kills The Human Torch in what may be the most disturbing death in the history of Marvel comic book movies. Cassandra does this due to Wade’s ranting about the supposed insults that had been directed at her by Johnny (and this is hilariously played off in the movie’s post-credit scene). Deadpool and Wolverine manage to flee Alith and soon meet their first Deadpool Variants: Dogpool (self-explanatory) and a long-haired, happy-go-lucky Variant portrayed by Ryan Reynolds dubbed “Nicepool.” Our Wade instantly finds himself smitten with the dog and is noticeably annoyed by his charming long-haired Variant, who bestows a car upon Deadpool and Wolverine that they can use to traverse the Void.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
The car is destroyed when Wade and Logan get into another fight, this one provoked by an extremely cruel and insensitive rant by Wolverine. Following that absolutely gory and brutal showdown, Wade and Logan are taken in by the other members of the Resistance; a team comprised of even more familiar faces belonging to stars of Marvel movies of old! There’s Jennifer Garner reprising her role as Elektra Natchios from 2003’s Daredevil and 2005’s Elektra, there’s Wesley Snipes reprising his role as Blade from 1998’s Blade, 2002’s Blade II, and 2003’s Blade: Trinity (and Deadpool’s reaction to this is wonderful, as Ryan Reynolds co-starred with Snipes in Trinity), there’s Channing Tatum at long last suiting up as Gambit, and there is of course, Daphne Keen’s X-23! Wolverine isn’t too thrilled about the group’s chances, but a heart-to-heart conversation with Laura sways him to assist the heroes. Devising a plan to use Juggernaut’s helmet to neutralize Cassandra’s power, the Resistance brawls with Cassandra’s forces and there is all kinds of destruction and bloodshed and death! Meanwhile, Logan and Wade make their way to Cassandra, and she easily tortures the both of them, taking the time to look into Wolverine’s mind where we as viewers learn that back in his native Universe, he had left his X-Men teammates vulnerable to murder while on a bender.
Eventually, Logan and Wade get Juggernaut’s helmet on Cassandra, and they try to negotiate a truce, but she adamantly refuses until Pyro betrays her. After a quite moving heart-to-heart about her brother with Logan, Cassandra presents a Sling Ring to the heroes and uses it to open a portal back to Earth-10005 in exchange for them having saved her life. Deadpool and Wolverine capitalize on the opportunity just as Alioth closes in, and they return to Wade’s native Timeline. A huge group of Deadpool Variants give chase from the Void however! This leads to an extremely bloody brawl pitting Deadpool and Wolverine against the likes of Lady Deadpool (Blake Lively), Kidpool, Babypool, Headpool, Cowboypool (Matthew McConaughey), and many, many more. Wade causes the untimely death of Nicepool and giddily reunites with Dogpool (he even attempts to give the headless corpse of Nicepool CPR in a grizzly and funny sequence). What promises to be a never-ending fight ends up ending thanks to the arrival of Peter, who is apparently an inspirational figure to all Deadpool’s! This sequence stopped just short of going too over-the-top and I really enjoyed it, especially the badass slow-motion shot of our Wade and his Logan, complete with The Wolverine at long last donning his traditional cowl from the comics!
Cassandra Nova soon arrives from the Void to Earth-10005 with hopes of commandeering Paradox’s deadly Time Ripper machine and using it to destroy all Realities, sans the Void. After a moving conversation between the two mutant heroes, it takes the combined efforts of Deadpool and Wolverine to stop Cassandra, in what each of them believes to be a sacrificial play. They survive, however, and Paradox is confronted and shut-down by the TVA’s Hunter B-15!
B-15 then rules that Deadpool’s Wolverine can stay won Earth-10005, along with X-23 from the Void, while confirming that the sure destruction of the10005 Universe had been reversed! The movie ends on a feel-good note, complete with Wade reuniting with Vanessa!
We then get a credits sequence showing the cast of the X-Men, Wolverine, and Deadpool films over the years, seeing how they grew, aged, and evolved. It was beautiful!
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
I loved Deadpool and Wolverine! I’d waited years to see Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool join the MCU and Hugh Jackman returning as (a) Wolverine made it all the more special! I enjoy Deadpool as a character and Ryan Reynolds is the living embodiment of that character, while Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has meant so very much to the comic book movie genre over the years! 2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the Wolverine character and Hugh Jackman had portrayed Logan on film for half of those 50-years!
From the top, this movie had everything that I was hoping for! It was funny, it was surprisingly moving, and it never shied away from not just acknowledging the legacy of the Fox X-Men films, but downright honoring it!
The vast majority of the jokes landed with me, and of course, there were A LOT of jokes! Neither Disney nor Marvel Studios were off-limits! Deadpool called out Marvel Studios’ recent struggles and even bashed the very concept of the Multiverse and how it hasn’t exactly landed with audiences the way that Marvel Studios had hoped, and in one of the more hilarious moments involving Blade, Deadpool subtly alluded to the developmental hell that Marvel Studios’ Blade film has found itself in since being announced 5-years ago.
All of the banter between Logan and Wolverine worked for me. The chemistry between Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds was completely off the charts. You could tell that they were having fun, and you could tell that they cared about these characters and about this movie. The fights were appropriately violent and gritty, and little was left to the imagination. This was guns, and swords, and claws, and blood, and decapitations galore, and I thought it was awesome!
The cameos were a homerun for me! Marvel Studios saved plenty for the movie without spoiling too much in the trailers. Every member of the cast and crew deserve praise for keeping things as close to the vest as they did! I never felt the cameos were gratuitous. Each made sense in terms of serving the narrative and I thought it was a perfect mix in terms of calling back to those early Marvel Studios films that were produced before the birth of the MCU in 2008. It all started with Blade. Elektra was the first Marvel movie to be headlined by a woman. Channing Tatum never got his chance to play Gambit for Fox (in fact, Mahershala Ali is probably starting to feel how Tatum felt once upon a time), and it was cool to see him shine! Daphne Keen coming back as X-23 was a dream come true for me. I loved her in Logan, and I loved her in this! Chris Evans returning as Johnny Storm was probably my favorite part of the film outside of Deadpool and Wolverine!
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
I adored Emma Corrin as Casandra Nova! I am not a huge fan of the character in the comics, though I do really like Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run as a whole. Emma portrayed Cassandra with a lot of confidence and a lot of charisma, and she was one of the highlights of this movie for me. Her nonchalant attitude and coinciding frail emotional state made her a very interesting villain, and the way that she read minds by sticking her hand into people’s heads and torturing their face was really disturbing stuff! One of my few complaints concerning this film is Cassandra’s fate. I think she would have been a really cool character to keep around and maybe to even give a redemption arc following her heart-to-heart with Wolverine, but sadly, that was not to be.
While I was admittedly bummed a little that we didn’t get to see Deadpool stay longer in the MCU 616-Universe, I appreciate the fact Deadpool and Wolverine was grounded in its own narrative and its own Cinematic legacy, emphasizing the respective journeys of Deadpool and this castaway Wolverine into selfless heroes and best friends. For all of its gore and satire and cynicism, Deadpool and Wolverine was actually quite a moving and even inspirational tale, and I see this ultimately going down as one of the greatest comic book movies ever made in the hearts of many fans. For me, it was a masterpiece and one of Marvel Studios’ best productions since Avengers: Endgame. As for seeing Deadpool and Wolverine mingle with other MCU heroes, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that we will get all of that in more in Avengers: Secret Wars!
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Highlights of Deadpool and Wolverine:
Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool
Hugh Jackman is The Wolverine
Deadpool vs Wolverine!
Chemistry Between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman
Chris Evans as Johnny Storm / The Human Torch
Daphne Keen as Laura / X-23
The Death of Chris Evan’s Johnny Storm / The Human Torch
Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova
Wolverine Decapitates Sabretooth!
So. Much. Humor!
Deadpool and Wolverine vs The Deadpool Corps
Ryan Reynolds as Nicepool
So. Many. Fourth-Wall Breaks!
Lady Deadpool!
X-23 gets through to Wolverine
Dogpool!
Surprising Amount of Heart
Cassandra Nova vs Wolverine!
Hulk vs Wolverine Tease
Deadpool’s Man-Crush on Thor
Henry Cavill as Wolverine!
Deadpool vs the TVA!
Music
Fight Choreography
Deadpool Visits the MCU 616-Universe and Meets Happy Hogan
R-rating Allows Marvel Studios to Leave Nothing to the Imagination!
Hilarious Post-Credits Scene featuring Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm / The Human Torch
Moving Credits Sequence that serves as a fitting tribute to the legacy of the Fox X-Men film Universe
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