The Wasteland Reviewer

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Written Review

Is this really happening? We are finally getting a team up film from Deadpool and Wolverine. The years of banter and jabs back and forth from Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been growing the anticipation. Their friendship has inspired so many to hope for such a movie to happen but after Logan, it looks doubtful for sure. But when Fox was bought by Disney, they announced that Reynolds’ Deadpool would be making the leap into the MCU, and the MCU veered into the Multiverse, the stars did align. Shawn Levy plus Reynolds plus Jackman means Deadpool & Wolverine. 

Was this crazy first venture into the MCU a worthwhile venture for Deadpool? There is a surprisingly rich and layered narrative being constructed in Deadpool & Wolverine. Legacy. This is all about legacy and the creative process. On a meta-level, this film is an ode to those characters that were never taken seriously. Those whose own ventures turned out to be disappointing. Those whose futures never came for creative fruition. Or the idea just could not come together. The characters this film invests in (with some of the most exciting and surprising cameos the audiences could have asked for) get their due justice (in many ways). But at the core of it, we see this through the lens of Deadpool himself and Wolverine. For Deadpool, this was a character who has been a fun time but never taken too seriously or put up on the same Avengers level pedestal as so many other comic book heroes. The journey that Deadpool goes on is rich and layered as he tries to prove his worth to himself, the love of his life, other heroes, and finally the audience on the other side of the screen.  The journey that Wolverine goes on is even more fascinating. Wolverine, who we all know that Jackman created brought to life, is one of the greatest overachieving comic heroes to be adapted to the screen. But what if he wasn’t? That is the variant we follow in Deadpool & Wolverine. This Logan lives in the shadow of a legacy he never lived up to (something that many people struggle within their own lives).

Does Levy step up into this big opportunity? He does channel a perfect balance of humor and heart in a wild over-the-top tone. The humor is almost nonstop with some of the most twisted and unexpected references and homages. The opening sequence is the perfect balance of gory and well staged action, biting quips, insane slapstick comedy, and the best musical choice imaginable (with a wild film reference as the backdrop and mechanism for it all). This opening is the perfect representation of what Deadpool & Wolverine is. The humor and references are hilarious and some of those references and cameos will have you dropping your jaw. The subversions that are layered in work so well. There are also strong emotional beats which Levy channels from his own most recent work as well as the previous two Deadpool films. The action is exciting as well with all the over-the-top gore that you would expect out of this franchise. There are two big set pieces that will be making comic book fans grin from ear to ear from start to finish…and the action is great too. The soundtrack to this new Deadpool film kills it with some amazing choices from the best pop songs matched with bloody frenzy on screen. The most glaring issue of the film is the continued weaker visual look for Marvel films. The green screen is too often obvious and the look to the film is still a bit flat.

Does the story match the energy and fun of the film? Deadpool is drawn into a Time Variance Association conspiracy that has ramifications for the whole Multiverse. Big stakes. But Deadpool’s own world is about to die if he cannot stop it with a little help from a new clawed friend. Personal stakes. The personal journeys of Deadpool and Wolverine trying to save their worlds works more for the film than the bigger scale issues but the new wrinkles in the TVA’s narrative is interesting enough. Post Loki, the TVA has turned over a new leaf…but not everyone is ready for a new kinder approach to the Multiverse. The Void is explored in more depth with this new MCU entry, and this reference and cameo-filled wasteland is ruled by the incredibly powerful Cassandra Nova. The sister of Charles Xavier, she was ousted and banished to this hellscape, but she created her own paradise. She is a functioning roadblock stuck between our heroes and their ticking clock of a rescue mission. In the end, our two heroes must stand up to the might of an incredibly powerful mutant and the nefarious underbelly of the TVA to protect the Multiverse as a whole. The story works just fine to hold the film together while it focuses more on its characters, their journeys, the meaning of their existences, and all the crazy fun stuff we want out of a film called Deadpool & Wolverine. 

Is Deadpool & Wolverine the savior of the MCU many were hoping for? That is not the point. This film manages to be a strong continuation of the journey of Wade Wilson from the previous two Deadpool films. This is a wonderful love letter to the Marvel cinematic experience for so many before the MCU made its launch in 2008. This is a film bolstered by the infectious chemistry of Reynolds and Jackman who both deliver plenty of laughs (in their unique ways) and still find the depth of emotion to craft empathy for their characters. Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen slide into their roles with great charm and charisma and act as great obstructions for our heroes. There are so many other performers who deserve credit too…who will not have named her. The latest entry in the MCU is hilarious. There is real heart and soul. This is an incredible journey here that is well worth the investment.