Certain features distinguish movies from one another. One of these distinctions is how seriously they take themselves. One of Marvel’s issues, at least for me, was its attempt to handle serious subjects by veering into comedy. They always found something to laugh about, even in stories where the world was at stake. This is precisely why we all admired Infinity War and placed it at the top of our Marvel movie lists. Infinity War finally managed to deliver what we had been seeking for a long time by treating a serious subject with the gravity it deserved. On the opposite end of this spectrum lies Deadpool. It’s the tale of an absurd character who doesn’t take himself seriously at all and guarantees to be nonsensical from start to finish. This is exactly why I have always loved Deadpool. He has consistently managed to meet my nonexistent expectations to the fullest. However, this time, the situation is quite different. Because Deadpool & Wolverine is a surprisingly delightful film that garnishes its flippancy with fan service.
Let’s briefly touch on the plot… Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), who tries to live an ordinary life with his friends after setting aside his Deadpool suit, becomes part of an unwanted adventure when the TVA suddenly appears and kidnaps him. The universe is on the brink of annihilation, and the only way to save it is by bringing back Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the spice of the universe. Even though Deadpool eventually finds the Wolverine he’s been searching for, he realizes he’s fallen into Mr. Paradox’s (Matthew Macfadyen) trap and ends up in the Void’s dump. While trying to find a way back, Deadpool must also fight with Wolverine along the way to save his universe.
Deadpool movies typically consist of Ryan Reynolds speaking to the camera, making jokes, and engaging in absurd adventures with limbs flying around. Although the basic premise remains the same, this Deadpool film is quite different from the others. Deadpool breaking the fourth wall and communicating with us, the audience, is not new, but this time the interaction is much more detailed, intimate, and filled with confessions. Constantly mentioning Deadpool’s transition from Fox to Marvel, he also confesses Marvel’s failures to us. In fact, I must say I really enjoyed the scene where he talks about how they messed up the multiverse concept. The ironic part is that the film in which this confession is made is one of the best at handling the multiverse concept.
Marvel, unfortunately, failed to use the multiverse concept it introduced post-Endgame correctly. With hundreds of different variations that could have been created, Marvel’s choices were the worst possible. However, Deadpool & Wolverine is the film that has utilized this concept most properly after Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Spider-Man reunited us with the Peter Parker characters we love, Deadpool & Wolverine succeeds in satisfying our curiosity by bringing forgotten and even never-were characters to the screen. Using the Void’s dump to gather these characters is also a very logical method. The film progresses with an internally consistent structure in this regard.
Although the Marvel universe we know began with Iron Man in 2008, Marvel characters had a presence on screen even before 2008. Blade (Wesley Snipes), Elektra (Jennifer Garner), and the Fantastic Four are actually part of Marvel, but we watched their films as special, standalone movies separate from the universe. Marvel’s embrace of these characters along with Deadpool, bringing them back, has made regular cinema-goers like me quite happy. A successful example of fan service. The return of X-23 (Dafne Keen) with her glasses, Chris Evans reappearing as Johnny Storm, Sabretooth (Tyler Mane) and his mustache, Juggernaut (Aaron W. Reed) and his famous helmet, Pyro, Toad, and even the inclusion of the long-rumored Channing Tatum’s Gambit character, all beautifully exemplify how well they’ve utilized the flippancy I mentioned earlier.
While the film builds its story around Deadpool and Wolverine, Emma Corrin’s performance and the abilities of her character Cassandra Nova manage to steal the screen from the main duo. I hope to see her again in the future. Though the film’s fan service parts are satisfying enough for the audience, the film is not just about that. The way the film handles its action scenes is also exquisite. The NSYNC opening, which epitomizes absurdity, the never-ending fights between Deadpool and Wolverine, and the neighborhood brawl among the Deadpools were magnificent moments worth watching on an IMAX screen.
In short, Deadpool & Wolverine is a delightful film that I enjoyed thoroughly with zero expectations. The use of action scenes, the nostalgic fan service, and the internally consistent story fill every second of its two-hour runtime to the fullest. Despite bringing together two unrelated characters, the story built around the duo and the well-timed jokes that make excellent use of the situation have made it one of the best films I’ve watched in 2024. With Ryan Reynolds talking to us and head-butting the camera, the flippancy exceeds even that of the first two films. For those without expectations and just looking to have fun, the film offers a two-hour feast. Bye bye bye.
Cast & Crew
director: Shawn Levy
writers: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy, Rob Liefeld (based on the characters created by), Fabian Nicieza (based on the characters created by)
starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen
USA | 2024 | 128 MINUTES |