Deadpool & Wolverine is the definitive, long-awaited cinematic catharsis to make amends for 2009's atrociously miscalculated X-Men Origins: Wolverine. With Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman finally reuniting after years of uncertainty and trepidation, Deadpool & Wolverine is a comic book fan's wet dream, with an R rating, comics-accurate costume design, nourishing fan service, and a shitload of delightful cameos, making this the most legitimately exciting entry to the ever-weakening Marvel Cinematic Universe since Spider-Man: No Way Home. Although it does not exactly respect 2017's Logan, it does not undo that movie's emotional conclusion, with this story featuring a new Wolverine variant. Veteran Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland) make their return here, collaborating with Reynolds, comic writer Zeb Wells, and new director Shawn Levy (Free Guy, The Adam Project) to create an immensely fun, sprawling multiverse adventure that teams up two iconic characters while also serving as Deadpool 3. Deadpool & Wolverine is a near-perfect mixture of spectacle, laughs and heart, and a surprisingly organic plot provides the opportunity for unending surprises and raucous joy.
A Deadpool-tinged MCU introduction, complete with Reynolds providing an acapella rendition of the recognisable theme, sets the tone immediately. After the opening narration and credits, the story picks up where Deadpool 2 concluded, with Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) using Cable's time-travel device in an unsuccessful attempt to join The Avengers in the Sacred Timeline, hoping that his life will finally mean something by joining Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Despondent about the rejection, he returns to his own universe and retires the Deadpool mantle, taking a job as a used-car salesman alongside his beloved friend, Peter (Rob Delaney). Wade's relationship with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) also comes to an end. Six years later, the TVA (or Time Variance Authority) abducts Wade, with Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) explaining that Wade's universe is deteriorating due to the death of its "anchor being," Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Paradox is constructing a Time Ripper device with the power to wipe out weakening timelines, and he plans to eliminate Wade's world but send the Merc with a Mouth to the Sacred Timeline. Instead of accepting this, Wade - with a new costume - steals Paradox's TemPad and searches for replacement anchor beings to save his timeline, eventually selecting a drunken Wolverine with a tragic past. However, Paradox promptly sends both men to a desolate world known as the Void, where Charles Xavier's sadistic twin sister, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), reigns supreme. With Wolverine reluctantly putting aside his hatred for Wade, the pair work together to escape the Void and return home, hoping to undo past mistakes in the process.
With a six-year gap separating Deadpool 2 and this third instalment, much doubt surrounded a potential Deadpool 3, particularly after Disney's 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox and the cancellation of the planned X-Force spinoff. After struggling to develop a worthwhile story for Deadpool 3, Reynolds was prepared to abandon the project until Jackman reached out and expressed his desire to play Wolverine again. Thankfully, Deadpool & Wolverine tells the right story at the right time, bringing Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe by tying into the multiverse and providing a logical closure point for the ongoing Multiverse Saga, a wise move after the increasingly hit-and-miss films of late. (Deadpool himself is not shy about pointing out that The Multiverse Saga has been "miss after miss after miss.") Additionally, the story seemingly provides a meta commentary on Marvel films by discussing anchor beings and their importance to a respective timeline. After all, the Fox X-Men Universe fell apart after Logan's death (see X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants), while the MCU began dwindling after Tony Stark died in Avengers: Endgame.
By necessity, Deadpool & Wolverine strongly connects to the Loki Disney+ series by including the TVA and adhering to the multiverse lore established in the show, allowing Deadpool to navigate various timelines. Fortunately, the film has fun with the possibilities of the multiverse, using the premise to create iconic comic book images in live-action for the first time. Wade shopping around different universes for a new Logan leads to a terrific montage of comic-accurate Wolverine costumes and settings while also incorporating some very funny moments. Indeed, one cameo even leads Wade to diss Warner Brothers and their rampant mishandling of the DC Extended Universe. However, the narrative does meander from time to time, particularly when dealing with the TVA and Paradox's Time Ripper device. Unfortunately, too, the story becomes a touch convoluted as the climax approaches, with ever-changing allegiances (Cassandra basically acts however the narrative requires her to act) and convenient contrivances, with all of the story's complications being handily resolved by simply destroying the Time Ripper. Then again, the characters openly acknowledge the device as a MacGuffin, so there is a self-aware element.
Deadpool's fourth wall breaking is out of control throughout Deadpool & Wolverine, with the script allowing him to comment on the dire state of the MCU, the Disney-Fox merger, bringing the Deadpool characters across to Disney, and other real-world events, including Jackman's recent divorce. There's even a sneaky reference to Will Smith's infamous Oscar slap. Although not every joke lands (and it's a shame that Wade does not skewer the recent obsession with diversity), there are far more hits than misses, with Reynolds once again harnessing immaculate comedic energy and zest to the role he was born to play. Reynolds is hilarious and charming, once again bringing his A-game to the material as he delivers profane dialogue and dick jokes, and his chemistry with Jackman positively sizzles. However, it's Jackman who steals the show, conveying fantastic dramatic dimension while still having immense fun playing the character again. His magnetic performance is superb, with the actor handling more than just berserker rage and hilarious quips - he also delivers poignant dialogue with gravitas while palpable emotion bubbles underneath. The screenplay adds depth to the titular antiheroes, incorporating psychological exploration as both men confront the mistakes of their past, with a specific focus on developing and humanising this Logan variant. These dramatic moments are crucial to ensure audiences care about the pair and want to see them succeed, adding weight and emotion to the romp.
Deadpool & Wolverine's ensemble is vast, from Emma Corrin (The Crown), who makes for a sinister Cassandra Nova, to British actor Matthew Macfadyen (2005's Pride and Prejudice) as the sleazy, not-to-be-trusted Mr. Paradox. To speak about many of the individual performances would spoil the wonderful surprises therein - suffice it to say, there is no weak spot in the cast, with numerous actors confidently reprising their roles from previous Marvel movies, adding ample colour. (Juggernaut is here, but Vinnie Jones could not reach a deal, so newcomer Aaron W Reed takes the role after working as a glorified body double in Free Guy.) Although there are no redemption arcs comparable to Andrew Garfield's role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the special guests in the Void receive a fitting send-off in a joyous climactic set piece, giving them one last chance to shine. Notable characters from previous Deadpool pictures also make an appearance, including Karan Soni as Dopinder and Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, but there are notable absences, including Josh Brolin as Cable, Zazie Beetz as Domino, and Julian Dennison as Firefist. However, Wade acknowledges their absence, pointing out that the members of the X-Force did not test well with focus groups. (It almost goes without saying that T.J. Miller's Weasel is absent and not even mentioned after his legal issues and public feud with Reynolds.)
Strikes disrupted the production of Deadpool & Wolverine, with a writer's strike ongoing at the start of production before the actor's strike completely stopped the shoot halfway through filming. Despite the accelerated post-production schedule (filming only wrapped in January), the visuals are outstanding throughout the movie, and it is without the type of shonky digital effects work that has plagued recent MCU pictures (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania being the most egregious example). With a more grounded story and ample location filming, the visual style of Deadpool & Wolverine is more tangible instead of artificial, with the vast wasteland of the Void providing a welcome reprieve from the unbelievably phoney digitally-created worlds witnessed in films like The Marvels and Thor: Love and Thunder. The production knowingly takes inspiration from the Mad Max films in its entertaining visualisation of the Void, with characters repurposing whatever vehicles and items wind up in the wasteland, including the corpse of a gigantic Ant-Man.
With a coveted R rating, the action throughout Deadpool & Wolverine packs a visceral punch, delivering the type of over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek violence that viewers expect from the Deadpool movies. Despite the excessive bloodshed, nothing feels tasteless or nihilistic, as Levy maintains a light-hearted tone that suits the material. Although the action is not exactly groundbreaking from a stylistic perspective, the set pieces are enormously fun, and Levy establishes the tone during the opening title sequence featuring an infectiously enjoyable dance number (set to *NSYNC's Bye Bye Bye) and Deadpool dispatching multiple TVA agents in funny and creative ways. Deadpool movies have always featured superb soundtrack choices, and this threequel satisfyingly continues the tradition. Madonna's Like a Prayer prominently features in the film, while other bangers from Avril Lavigne, Goo Goo Dolls, Huey Lewis & The News, Fergie and AC/DC also appear, in addition to many more tracks to enhance the sense of fun. The song You're The One That I Want from Grease even accompanies a memorably hilarious fight between Deadpool and Wolverine.
Deadpool & Wolverine is full of highlights, from the outstanding fight sequences to the Easter Eggs and the razor-sharp comedy, while the contagious enthusiasm of Reynolds and Jackman is a huge asset. Closing the flick on a pitch-perfect note is a touching end-credits reel set to Green Day's Good Riddance that comprises behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and film clips, and it represents a satisfying ode to the bygone days of Fox Marvel movies, including the good (X-Men, X2), the bad (Fantastic Four, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and the ugly (2015's Fant4stic, Elektra). With this masterful touch and the exciting cameos, Deadpool & Wolverine is a delightful celebration of pre-MCU Marvel films, much like how Spider-Man: No Way Home celebrated three generations of live-action Spider-Man movies. In this way, Deadpool & Wolverine is not only an enjoyably outrageous superhero blockbuster with endless replay value but also a significant cultural moment that will mean a lot to long-time fans. Like 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, Deadpool & Wolverine is a massive, much-needed win for Marvel Studios, but it feels like the perfect end of an era instead of the dawn of a new era.
8.2/10