Films for Breakfast

Shortly after Hugh Jackman seemingly hung up his Wolverine claws for good in 2017’s Logan, The Walt Disney Company acquired 20th Century Fox and its entire media library – including the rights to characters like Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Deadpool, and more. The acquisition put Marvel Studios in an interesting position, as they are obviously not obligated to carry over any of the lore from 20th Century Fox’s X-Men films and all their messy continuity/rapidly declining popularity… but there was an elephant in the room that closely resembled Deadpool; a character both clearly in continuity with the current X-Men films and undeniably beloved by the mass public. Even as films like X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix disappointed critically and financially, Deadpool stood out within the superhero genre as a whole as a quintessential voice that satirized both comic book films as well as Hollywood at large.

Sure, you can reboot Deadpool – but what makes the first two films as beloved as they are can simply be traced back to Ryan Reynolds. And why mess with a formula that works? Instead of trying to fit the character of Deadpool into a PG-13 model that Disney and Marvel Studios are accustomed to, Kevin Feige wisely lets Deadpool and Wolverine flourish in its vulgarity and hyper-violence that will surely delight fans who know what to expect from the franchise. The film takes place six years after the events of Deadpool 2, finding Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) stuck working at a car dealership with his days as the merc with a mouth behind him. However, the TVA (Time Variance Authority, introduced in the Loki series on Disney+) gets ahold of Wade and informs him of a greater purpose that forces him back into the suit. With his home world facing an existential threat, Wade reluctantly searches the multiverse for a Wolverine that can help him save the people that he loves.

One of the things I was most curious about when it came to Deadpool and Wolverine is what could compel Hugh Jackman to return to the role of Wolverine, especially after Logan was such a magnificent swansong for the character. In this film, Jackman plays a variant of the Wolverine we know from the original X-Men films. When we first meet him, he’s washed up at a bar, begging for one more drink and for Wade to put a bullet in his head; he’s described as “the worst Wolverine” by TVA employee Paradox (Matthew MacFayden). By giving us a short-tempered, resentful, and unfiltered Wolverine it feels like both a perfect, counterpart pairing for Reynolds to play off of, and also a perfect way to get Jackman on board in a unique and more comic-accurate way. Of course, this film pokes fun at Logan, but I don’t think it ever ruins the legacy of that film.

The comradery between Jackman and Reynolds is easily the highlight of the film and is consistently hilarious and sincere enough throughout to sustain the entire running time. Clocking in at 127 minutes, the film is filled to the brim with an insane amount of multiversal-plotting and exposition, easter eggs, locations, and yes… cameos. However, what I liked about the film is how it utilizes all of this fan-service to both create something of a love letter to the Fox-era of Marvel films, as well as a genuinely personal and heartfelt story for both Deadpool and Wolverine respectively. Yes, the multiverse is at stake, and you’ll see a ton of people you recognize from other things… but at the end of the day, it’s all in service to the core plight of Wade Wilson trying to save his family and Logan trying to redeem himself. It’s so simple, but genuinely effective.

Shawn Levy takes over as the director this time around, and while he does lack the same distinct directorial style that David Leitch delivered with Deadpool 2, I think the film delivers so many greatly entertaining and well-executed sequences that it’s hard to write his effort off. There are several action sequences scattered throughout that are impressively and excitingly staged, and Levy’s background in comedy clearly benefits the film in its lighter moments. His two sensibilities compliment the inherent nature of a Deadpool film very nicely.

In terms of the screenplay, the film does feel like its juggling a bit too much at times. It’s trying to be both a continuation of the original two Deadpool films, slide him into the MCU continuity, pay homage to an entire era of Fox-Marvel films, and introduce a new Wolverine all in one-go. While I think the film mostly succeeds in everything it sets out to do, it does make the plot feel a bit sporadic and messy at times. A lot of this trickles down to the inclusion of the TVA and the villain, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) – both of which have plenty of great moments, but their overall motivations and arcs feel a bit muddled underneath everything else going on.

Yet, when it comes to any Deadpool movie, it also feels supremely self-aware of any criticisms you can throw at it. You notice an exposition dump? You think there’s too many characters? Deadpool not only knows but will look directly into the camera and tell you he agrees. It’s this level of fourth wall breaking and clever writing that helps the film combat any sense of tiredness that the genre or character could fall into. There’s such a level of heart and genuine attention to the lore at hand that makes it feel like it was made with nothing but love for both the fans, as well as the pre-existing material.

Is Deadpool and Wolverine enough to single-handedly course correct the Marvel Cinematic Universe? I don’t know if anyone can say for certain, but it’s a damn’ solid start at reminding audiences how entertaining these films can be when you truly care about the characters on-screen. Reynolds and Jackman make for a truly dynamic duo whose chemistry makes the years of anticipation worth the wait. Come for the hyper-violence and nerdy surprises and stay for a surprisingly heartfelt and personal story. For my money, this is just as good as the other two entries and is a great gateway for the merc with a mouth into the MCU.

4/5