by Henry Knowles ’26
September 2024
The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the writer and do not reflect the views of University School of Nashville or the Peabody Press.
Since the release of Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man” in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has dominated the world of superhero films. It seemed like they had the recipe for masterpieces figured out, and as Marvel rose to the top, competitors DC Comics struggled to have the same success in the theaters.
The MCU had a clear peak from 2018 to 2019, with the release of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame,” concluding the Thanos Saga. However, the MCU has been slowly declining in media relevance and viewership since then.
Since the release of “Endgame,” Marvel has added 12 movies and a couple of TV shows to the MCU, and although there have been a few notable releases, many have flown under the radar. At the end of Phase Three (the release of “Spider-Man: Far From Home”), Marvel killed off two of the franchise’s main characters, Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Steve Rodgers (Captain America). Although they both met fitting ends to their years of service, all the newer movies have lacked the same charm as the older ones.
Ever since watching the incoherent disasterpiece that was “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” I had given up on the Marvel Franchise entirely, and I had not watched any of the new releases… until one of my friends invited me to watch the brand new “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Since Fox owned the rights to Wolverine, and because of Deadpool’s crude humor, neither has made an official appearance in the MCU. I am a massive fan of the other Deadpool movies, but I was a little worried about how they would combine the family-friendliness of the MCU with the famously offensive nature of the Deadpool films.
Warning: Spoilers ahead…
Was this the best Marvel movie of all time? Not even close. Was it far better than the multiverse-filled, confusing magic shenanigan movies that Marvel has made over the past few years? Yes – by a lot.
Of course, the movie follows a budding friendship between Deadpool and Wolverine. Wade Wilson, or Deadpool, gets caught by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) switching between universes. The TVA offers Wilson an essential job on Earth-616 (the universe home to the Avengers). At first, Deadpool is elated and will accept the opportunity, until the TVA reveals that Wilson’s home universe is decaying due to the death of the universe’s “anchor being,” who happens to be Wolverine. The TVA plans to use a device to speed up the decay process and destroy Wilson’s home universe and everyone he has ever loved. Deadpool, of course, can not let this happen, and he attempts to replace his universe’s Wolverine with another to try and save it.
The TVA notifies Wilson that things do not work this way and that he cannot replace one anchor being with another. The evil TVA worker, Paradox, then sends Deadpool and Wolverine to the Void, a wasteland where everything unwanted by the TVA is banished to die.
I know that sounds like a bunch of multiverse nonsense, which I claimed caused Marvel’s downfall, but once you see it played out on screen, it’s far clearer than some of the more recent movies. Although the multiverse is an essential plot device, you do not need to understand it thoroughly to follow the film’s plot. Not relying heavily on a confusing plot truly sets it apart from other recent Marvel films.
A MAN’S BEST FRIEND: Deadpool gets licked by one of his counterparts from an alternate universe, Dogpool (via Marvel Studios).
As the movie continues, we are introduced to other superheroes trapped in the Void who have never been featured in the MCU. The one I’m the most excited about is Blade, the vampire killer who made a couple of appearances on the big screen in the late nineties and early two-thousands but has been absent since then. I would love to see Blade become a more prominent figure in the MCU; as his unique combat style, trademarked by his double-edged sword, would make for refreshing fight scenes that don’t involve laser guns. I also think that, following the deaths of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, the current Avengers lack the experience and wisdom they once had. Blade is around 50, so he could act somewhat like a father figure for the rest of the Avengers.
Earlier, I mentioned that I was curious to see if Marvel would try to keep the movie relatively family-friendly compared to the previous Deadpool movies. For reference, before the release of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the f-bomb had only been dropped once in the entire 34-film cinematic universe. Now, including Deadpool & Wolverine, the f-bomb has been dropped a whopping 119 times in the MCU, which means that that word was said 118 times in “Deadpool & Wolverine!”
I’m almost certain that this amount of cursing will not become the norm for Marvel; however, it’s a sign of Marvel’s willingness to sacrifice its family-friendly label to maintain the essential characteristics of Deadpool’s character.
At the movie’s end, Deadpool and Wolverine stop Paradox and save Deadpool’s universe. Although Deadpool ends up back in his home universe, separate from where the MCU lives, he still holds the device that allows him to travel between universes. This perfectly sets up Deadpool’s potential return to Earth-616 in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” set to release in the spring of 2026.
Overall, “Deadpool & Wolverine” was a good watch with a fantastic mix of comedy and seriousness. Ryan Reynolds has always done a tremendous job as Deadpool. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by how well Hugh Jackman transformed his somber Wolverine into a more comedic character. I think this could finally be the saving grace the MCU has sought. The MCU has been so influential in my life, and many others, and it has been upsetting to watch it slowly fall off over the past five years.
I give “Deadpool & Wolverine” 8/10.
