While Tim Miller’s 2016 superhero comedy Deadpool was far from the first R-rated superhero movie (the Blade trinity, Watchmen, and various adaptations of The Punisher were all released years before, to name just a few examples), it came at just the right time to actually hit it big. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was at its peak, and superheroes, particularly ones of the Marvel variety, were in. They were also pretty tame. Part of why Deadpool was so notable was that it broke the Disney-Marvel mold in a way that Disney-Marvel (heavy on the Disney) just couldn’t.
Deadpool & Wolverine, the third installment in the Deadpool series, is Disney-Marvel. While the f-bombs, sex jokes, excessive gore, and drugs references remain, they are delivered with a wink and a nudge – isn’t it shocking that this is happening in a Disney movie? A running gag in the movie is that they are not allowed to mention cocaine (of course, this doesn’t stop the characters from listing other names the drug is known as). Deadpool, in typical fourth-wall-breaking fashion, mentions Marvel, Disney, and even the often-mocked writing featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Due to its recent entry into the House of the Mouse, the movie seems intended to serve as an homage to the Fox Marvel movies – a montage of behind-the-scenes footage from those movies plays during the end credits – but its way of doing so is distinctly Disney-Marvel. The core cast of characters from the first and second Deadpool films is replaced by a series of cameos from the Fox universe (albeit far more interesting and satisfying cameos than any in recent Marvel memory, such as a surprise appearance from Channing Tatum’s Gambit, never before seen on screen after years of development hell).
These characters appear as the supporting cast for under an hour, and while Dafne Keen’s Laura Kinney (formerly seen in Logan) is certainly alive by the end of the film, the others are dead. Well…ambiguously dead. Who knows if they might need to come back (in true Marvel Cinematic Universe fashion), after all?
The plot of the movie itself seemed derivative, at least in terms of Deadpool films. Much like the second installment of the series, it involved a lost, hopeless, and newly-single Deadpool attempting to keep his family safe, teaming up with a gruff straight man to clash with Ryan Reynolds’ signature snark. While Deadpool and Wolverine certainly has higher stakes than Deadpool 2, the second and third movies felt remarkably similar.
What Deadpool and Wolverine lacked in a fresh plot it retained in sheer fun. While the distinctly Ryan Reynolds brand of humor is certainly not for everyone, watching the movie in theaters was genuinely an enjoyable experience. It had both laugh-out-loud dance scenes and touching moments, and while there were certainly plenty of tested MCU cliches, much of the movie still felt surprising.
While Deadpool and Wolverine may not have retained the spirit of the first two films, it delivered on the promise of a fun and exciting moviegoing experience. Ultimately, though, this is what truly makes it a Disney-Marvel movie – whether that is something a viewer can easily overlook is up to them.
Rating: 6/10
