Deadpool and Wolverine review

The only MCU film of 2024 Deadpool and Wolverine is one of the franchise's most anticipated in years. Deadpool 1 and 2 were both massive hits, but that was with the old Fox Marvel franchise, so this would bring the character into the MCU proper. And coming along is Wolverine, last seen finally dying at the end of Logan.

The hype was huge, easily the most hyped MCU film since No Way Home.

And D&W also arrives amidst a never-ending discourse about how bad the MCU is (false) and how it's dead (false) and killed by woke (exceptionally false). 

So it's weirdly positioned as the film that has to save the MCU. Strange importance to lay on a character whose whole thing is making a self-mocking joke out of everything.

D&W is not that film. It's honestly not even THAT much of an MCU film. It has a few small connections to MCU things we have seen before, but mostly, it acts as kind of a final send-off to that now defunct Fox Marvel universe.

Might as well spoil the shit out of this.

Big picture is that the TVA (of Loki fame) recruits Deadpool to be part of the team. The catch is that his timeline is going to be erased soon because it lost its "anchor being," the hero that each timeline needs to survive. Turns out that was Wolverine. Deadpool revolts and goes about traveling the multiverae to find a new Wolverine (or, perhaps, a Cavillrine) to help save his friends (sadly the fun supporting casts of DP 1 and 2 are barely seen, and Domino is nowhere to be seen).

The titular leads wind up.stuck in The Void (also from Loki), which is ruled by Cassandra, who is a female Professor X variant, who is the figure standing in our leads way.

D&W's quest in this world to get OUT of this world leads them to meet an assortment of familiar characters of the past. First, we get Chris Evans, back in the MCU as his familiar character....Johnny Storm. Great misdirect here.

Then they meet up with a few othera: Logan's X23 (who is quite cute now which feels weird), Jennifer Garner's Elektra (she looks exactly the same as 22 years ago), Channing Tatum as Gambit (do people.know he tried for years to star in a Gambit movie?), and HOLY FUCKING SHIT WESLEY SNIPES AS BLADE! I had no idea this was happening, and it made me so excited.

Surprisingly, the movie shows a lot of restraint with the cameos. There are a few others from the X-Men universe, but not many, and the big ones are actually useful to the plot. And of course, great fodder for jokes.

D&W IS very funny, packed with more references and in-jokes than either other Deadpool flick. Overall, I do still think Deadpool 2 remains the funniest one, and the one that's the most complete, coherent movie. D&W is kind of scattershot throughout, with a through line plot that only sometimes interests.

It's all about the jokes and the references. And the action is surprisingly good, considering the director Shawn Levy has not been known for helming top-level action. D & W can, of course, fight each other endlessly, and do a few times. There's a big melee involving the big cameos. And there's a throwdown with a whole bunch of Deadpool variants. Even the opening fight sequence set to Bye Bye Bye is pretty great.

Through it all, Reynolds and Jackman (who can each do these roles in their sleep) do their thing. 

I expected a major Deadpool entry into the MCU, but that's not what this is. Even the post credits don't connect. It's just a behind the scenes montage of the Fox movies. Not sure that movies like Elektra or the Fantastic Four reboot a nostalgia trip, but okay.

Look, this movie has opened to record numbers and is gonna make a billion dollars worldwide. They WILL keep making Deadpool movies.

Does it save the MCU? No, it didn't need saving. It's still going strong and will continue to.