Director: Shawn Levy
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen
Screenplay: Shawn Levy, Rhett Reese, Ryan Reynolds, Zeb Wells, Paul Wernick
127 mins. Rated R for strong bloody violence, and language throughout, gore and sexual references.

2024 has been fairly light on superhero staples with DC taking a break to reboot and Marvel delaying several projects. It’s safe to say that the anticipation for Deadpool & Wolverine has been in the public consciousness all year, with it being the introduction of the Merc with a Mouth to the MCU, the return of Hugh Jackman (Prisoners) in the role of Wolverine, and the MCU’s first R-rated feature. It’s a lot for director Shawn Levy (Free Guy) to juggle, and the finished product, while certainly messy and unfocused, is still one of the most fun experiences in the theater this year.

Six years have passed since we last saw Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds, Bullet Train), and he’s trying to make something of his life…finally. When he is brought in by the TVA and informed that his timeline is dying, and the only thing that can save it is Wolverine, Wade puts on his tight red suit and sets out to find Wolverine, any Wolverine, that can fix his world and save the people he cares about.

It’s been a long journey for Deadpool to get to the MCU. The third Deadpool was originally envisioned by Fox to be an X-Force centered project after the team was introduced (and subsequently killed off) in the previous installment. Then, Deadpool 2 was recut as Once Upon a Deadpool for Fox and Marvel to understand if the series could continue with a lighter touch. Once Hugh Jackman joined the film, it almost became a road trip film modeled after Rashomon and, for a short time, was envisioned as a low-budget indie film and even a movie where Deadpool saves Christmas before arriving on a multiversal tale that fits, for better and worse, into the current plane of the MCU.

I can’t wait for superhero fans to see what is in store for them in Deadpool & Wolverine. The movie features some of those scenes that we never would’ve dreamed of back before the days of the MCU. Character pairings, set pieces, and self-referential (and often self-deprecating) humor elevates some of the film’s lesser qualities and make for an extremely exciting movie experience. Within the first few minutes, as Wade tells us how he plans to find Logan, we completely understand that nothing is off limits for our fourth-wall-breaking hero, and some of the most shocking moments occur in those first few minutes. It’s nice to see Marvel having fun poking at itself for its recent troubles, even though I wonder how well some of this humor will age given that a lot of it is targeted at current pop culture, moreso than previous installments.

A lot of the surprises of the movie amounted to some genuinely crowd-pleasing moments, even from my press screening, where several moments had us standing up, clapping, and cheering at what was accomplished, but it should be noted that most of these pops were very much coming from a COOL FAN SERVICE moments without as much narrative purpose. Whereas movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Flash used their fan service for more narrative and character-driven purpose, Deadpool & Wolverine doesn’t have as much of that outside of its utilization of Wolverine, who carries a completely new interpretation of the character he made famous over two decades and an emotional resonance delivered by a strong performance.

Perhaps the focus on big bombastic moments is to the detriment of the film’s structural standing, as the narrative is almost paper-thin, and Deadpool’s emotional character journey is very low impact. There’s a good amount of exposition and stakes buildup throughout the feature that is ultimately less impactful than the movie or the marketing would have you believe, and the motivation and growth of Wade here is easily the weakest of the three appearances thus far, mostly being tied up by a single line of dialogue from Wolverine in the third act. The same can be said of the supporting cast, who pop in for a fun surprise and some cool action but mostly don’t matter much to the plot.

Deadpool & Wolverine suffers from a number of structural and character issues, but the movie is so entertaining that I can overlook most of its faults. I don’t think that it will win over everyone, especially looking to this movie to dramatically alter or “save” the MCU, but I was entertained and on the edge of my seat for the entirety, flaws and all. Deadpool & Wolverine is a hoot, and well worth watching for anyone who’s enjoyed a comic book movie in the last 25 years, but I would urge you to see it opening weekend so as not to spoil some of its flashier moments.

3.5/5
-Kyle A. Goethe

• For my review of Gavin Hood’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, click here.
• For my review of Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class, click here.
• For my review of Bryan Singer’s X-Men, click here.
• For my review of Bryan Singer’s X2: X-Men United, click here.
• For my review of Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand, click here.
• For my review of James Mangold’s The Wolverine, click here.
• For my review of Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, click here.
• For my review of Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Apocalypse, click here.
• For my review of Simon Kinberg’s Dark Phoenix, click here.
• For my review of Tim Miller’s Deadpool, click here.
• For my review of David Leitch’s Deadpool 2, click here.
• For my review of James Mangold’s Logan, click here.
• For my review of Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger, click here.
• For my review of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel, click here.
• For my review of Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, click here.
• For my review of Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2, click here.
• For my review of Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk, click here.
• For my review of Leythum’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer, click here.
• For my review of Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, click here.
• For my review of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, click here.
• For my review of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, click here.
• For my review of Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, click here.
• For my review of Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War, click here.
• For my review of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, click here.
• For my review of Jon Watts’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, click here.
• For my review of Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, click here.
• For my review of Joe and Anthony Russo’s Avengers: Infinity War, click here.
• For my review of Joe and Anthony Russo’s Avengers: Endgame, click here.
• For my review of Jon Watts’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, click here.
• For my review of Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, click here.
• For my review of Shawn Levy’s Night at the Museum, click here.
• For my review of Shawn Levy’s Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, click here.
• For my review of Shawn Levy’s Date Night, click here.