It’s been a long while since we’ve stepped through the doors of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but, after a lengthy wait between films, we’re finally back for a Kevin Feige-backed Marvel Studios blockbuster unlike any that’s come before: Deadpool & Wolverine.
**This review may contain minor spoilers from Deadpool & Wolverine**
The last we saw Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and Logan (Hugh Jackman), respectively, was right before the Disney/Fox merger, with the former spotted galavanting through the timeline causing mayhem, while the latter had sacrificed himself for the greater good, ultimately dying with his heart in his hands. A touching end for that iteration of the character, who, time and time again, had delivered for the X-Men and audiences across the globe.
It was long assumed that Logan would be the last time we saw Hugh Jackman suit up as the Wolverine, but alas, Marvel Jesus and the MCU at large, which finds itself in the midst of an unexpected creative reset, needed him, which inadvertently set the stage for the ultimate superhero team-up and one of the most wildly entertaining Marvel movies of all-time.
The new film picks up a few years after the events of Deadpool 2, with Wade Wilson experiencing a midlife crisis of sorts after he simultaneously failed to join the Avengers and lost the love of his life. He’s now working as a car salesman trying to earn an honest living, having given up his former life as the Merc with a Mouth. However, as fate would have it, he soon finds himself recruited by the TVA and asked to join Earth-616. The offer quickly washes away his sorrows and he promptly suits back up, ready to join the Sacred Timeline… until he finds out this would mean his universe (Earth-10005), including all of his friends, would be wiped from existence.
Why is that? Well, after Wolverine’s noble sacrifice, Wade’s Earth no longer has an anchor, meaning it will slowly cease to exist over the course of thousands of years, but, unfortunately, for Mr. Wilson, Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), the overambitious TVA agent overseeing this slow process, has plans to accelerate his world’s demise, so Wade must promptly leap into action and find a new Wolverine ASAP to fix their timeline before it’s all too late.
It doesn’t take long for Deadpool to find his replacement Wolverine, but this one is a bit different than the one we remember, with Paradox labeling him the worst Wolverine from any timeline. With Deadpool’s plan falling apart at the seams, the pair soon find themselves pruned and stuck in the Void where they find themselves on a collision course with the exceedingly unhinged and uber dangerous Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).
…And that’s where the shenanigans begin.
If you were expecting a true multiverse experience, then look no further, because Deadpool & Wolverine delivers on that front ten times over, although we will tell you now that it’s not a full blown cameo fest, so please don’t walk into the theater expecting an Endgame-level of character appearances. There are a handful of cameos, yes, but nothing excessive, and they’re all handled extremely well. More than a few familiar faces and a few unexpected ones that will certainly surprise and likely draw cheers.
That being said, as fun as the cameos are, this is a full-fledged buddy comedy at its core, with a heart of red and gold. Our leading men inject so much heart and humor into this film that it’s extremely hard not to laugh and maybe even cry with the pair as they go on this adventure with no certain outcome. The stakes have never been higher and there’s never any guarantee on what will happen next, so they have to make every moment count and, surely enough, they do. It’s actually surprisingly far more grounded and self-contained than you might expect from a multiverse-traversing picture like this, but director Shawn Levy makes it work.
Ryan Reynolds is in top form as Deadpool yet again, with his mouth running several miles a minute and annoying every single character he crosses paths with, but, it’s actually the quieter moments where Reynolds is at his finest. He gets to stretch his emotional chops a bit more than previous installments as he finds himself with a very relatable issue - especially for the larger X-Men movie universe - he just wants to matter.
It’s obviously hard to convey too much emotion behind the mask, but Reynolds somehow manages to make you feel for, not only his character, but for the whole Marvel/Fox universe. Sure, it may not have been as well mapped out as the MCU and the films may have been of varying quality over the years, but damn it, they mattered and they deserved their moment too, their ending, and, thankfully, Reynolds and Kevin Feige saw that and gave this hero his moment to attempt to make things right.
If you thought Hugh Jackman was incredible in Logan, then brace yourselves for another all-time performance from the greatest comic book movie actor of our generation in Deadpool & Wolverine, as this revamped variant of the iconic X-Men hero is some of the finest work of his career. Jackman is the heart and soul of this movie and, quite frankly, carries it from the moment he shows up on screen. The chemistry between him and Reynolds is off the charts, whether they’re engaging in fisticuffs, busting balls, or having a heart-to-heart, and his reunion with X-23 (Dafne Keen) will most certainly tug at your heartstrings. Logan’s confrontation with Cassandra Nova should go down as one of his finest moments as the character and quite possibly one of the best monologues in any CBM ever.
Oh and did I mention, he wears the mask? And, holy [frick]ing shit, it looks awesome.
There are ample fight scenes spread throughout the picture, with Levy delivering one show-stopping sequence after another, and some of the most comic book-y fight choreography we’ve ever seen from these characters or from any CBM. Wolverine fights like he’s been ripped straight out of the pages of a Marvel Comic, exhibiting his trademark berserker rage while the Merc with a Mouth remains one of the most inventive killers known to man. It’s all a joy and that’s all I’ll say. Just sit down, grab some popcorn and enjoy the carnage.
As for the rest of the known cast, Emma Corrin is exceptional as Cassandra Nova, Rob Delaney shines yet again as Peter, and Dogpool is an absolute scene-stealer. Dafne Keen steps back into her career-defining role as Laura and will, once again, leave you begging for more. There are a few secret cast members that I won’t divulge here, but they’re all beyond fantastic. One in particular will have fans howling.
It’s a full-blown Deadpool & Wolverine adventure, so there isn’t much to complain about since it delivers on exactly what you’d want from a film like this. However, if we were to wager a small complaint, the Deadpool Corps are not particularly memorable and the Void could’ve maybe included a few more familiar characters from previous films, with more ties to the titular characters, to add a little more emotional depth, even if they would have likely been underutilized.
Also, while there are plenty of multiversal things happening throughout, the story remains self-contained and really doesn't worry about what happens next, which is actually refreshing from an MCU film, although to fully bear the weight of this film and grasp every single deep cut reference, some level of investment in Hugh Jackman's X-Men films, especially Logan, and the previous two Deadpool films is probably a little required. However, it'll probably be just as enjoyable even without any prior knowledge since the film is just that much fun.
There is one post-credits scene that pays off a joke from earlier in the film. It’s well worth the wait to hear the dialogue cause it’s bonkers and the performer is absolutely perfect.
Deadpool & Wolverine is the ultimate Marvel movie, a non-stop blockbuster entertainer with a heart of red and gold. Ryan Reynolds is truly Marvel Jesus, breathing new life into the MCU and resurrecting the X-Man himself Hugh Jackman for one of the most wildly enjoyable comic book movies ever, with both delivering all-time performances that will go down in the CBM history books. Don’t head to the theater expecting answers about the future of the X-Men in the MCU or any of the larger ramifications on the Sacred Timeline, just walk in expecting a good time with Deadpool and Wolverine - maybe grab a popcorn bucket - and, trust me, you’ll walk out extremely happy.