Deadpool can’t die. If he were a figure from Greek mythology, this might be a source of tragedy, but in Wade Wilson’s seedy corner of the Marvel Universe, it serves as a catalyst for inappropriate comedy instead. The last time the gruff mercenary appeared in a movie, Deadpool could be seen drinking sewer cleaner and attempting to nuke himself into oblivion—a stunt that sent his extended middle finger in Wolverine’s direction. The two heroes have had a long-standing rivalry, with both granted regenerative healing powers through the Weapons-X program, but only Wolverine has been able to make grown men cry. Until now.
Laughter is a given, but not the tear-filled reaction to the final minutes of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which is by far the most fan-servicey sequel Marvel has ever released—and that’s saying something, since the comics empire panders to its flock more rigorously than the faith-based industry. In the past, such brazenness in giving people what they want might have been a bad thing, but here, it serves as a welcome corrective to the superhero excess of the past 15 years. Now that the Disney-backed Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be running on fumes, the entire genre could use a jolt, and this clown-like character is the man to do it.
What makes Deadpool special, aside from lead actor (and co-writer) Ryan Reynolds’s wry sensibility, is the way it breaks the fourth wall, offering unabashed commentary on just about everything, including the filmmakers’ most crass creative decisions. If you direct this at the film’s various parent companies, the audience gets a subversive laugh, while the accountants gain credibility by showing that they’re in on the joke (as when Deadpool says “cocaine is the only thing Feige said was illegal”). Mattel did the same thing with Barbie last year, and now Marvel seems like a good sport.
There’s no risk at all, considering that the previous two Deadpool movies rank as Fox’s highest-grossing superhero films, ahead of “Logan” and the entire “X-Men” franchise. Perhaps that’s because they didn’t take themselves seriously. Now “Deadpool & Wolverine” looks set to surpass them all, considering it brings Hugh Jackman’s adamantium-clawed character back from the grave. Technically, this version comes from a separate timeline in a multiverse trope that’s so old, it’s only excused by Deadpool jokes.
Meanwhile, the film tries to grab the viewer’s attention in every way possible. Early on, Deadpool discovers that a man in a suit (not a spandex suit, but a tuxedo) is roaming the realms far beyond the “sacred timeline” (that’s the Marvel Cinematic Universe in one of the “Avengers” movies, where death was treated with a greater degree of respect). The man is called Mr. Paradox, and he’s played by “Succession” star Matthew Macfadyen as a psychotic corporate agent. It’s clear that unless Deadpool can bring Wolverine back, his time zone is in twilight.
Mr. Paradox isn’t so much a villain, though he does represent a fascinating metaphysical concept: What happens to all the dead-end Marvel properties introduced over the years? A few of them appear in this film, while others are mentioned in jokes meant for tech geeks. The implication is that Deadpool, who has fallen into obscurity amid the Disney-Fox merger despite the studio earning $1.5 billion at the box office, could be in danger of being canceled? What does a superhero do to justify his existence?
The physics of “Deadpool & Wolverine” are more like a Looney Tunes cartoon than a regular comic book, with Deadpool hopping between dimensions without having to explain how he does it (I blame the 2023 Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All at Once” for popularizing the multiverse). Deadpool finds a few alternate versions of Wolverine — including a shorter version that reminds us that the ferocious character originally got his name because of his small stature — before landing on the version wearing the yellow costume and black mask that has become iconic in the comics.
“He’s usually shirtless, but he’s been letting himself loose since the divorce,” Deadpool jokes, mocking what he calls “the worst Wolverine,” though the grouchy, hard-drinking fighter (played by a still-muscular Hugh Jackman) seems tougher than ever. The “Greatest Showman” has done nothing to soften his image, and in his raucousness in this sequel, he’s the perfect straight man for Reynolds’s relatively sleazy sensibilities. They trade insults throughout, and whenever Deadpool crosses the line, the claws come out and these two indestructible malcontents turn on each other.
Director Shawn Levy (who has directed Reynolds twice before) is stronger on comedy than action, which means these scenes aren’t as well-staged as “Matrix” action guru David Leitch’s work on “Deadpool 2.” The visual effects are questionable, and the city streets rarely look like a studio set. Still, Marvel has hired some misfit directors over the years (Tim Story killed the “Fantastic Four” franchise, and Peyton Reed has made each “Ant-Man” film more painful than the last), and Levy is on the same wavelength of Reynolds’s crass, slapdash slapdash. At one point, Deadpool is shown fighting the corpse of Wolverine, who is still deadlier than most living superheroes. It also raises the question of which is more wrong, Disney’s tongue-in-cheek joke about screwing or the recurring scene of adamantium claws embedded in vulvas.
No one would accuse Deadpool of having good taste. Yet this film achieves an unexpected sadness when Deadpool and Wolverine are banished together to The Void, a wasteland overseen by Professor X’s twin, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), where orphaned intellectual property is transferred before being purged forever. There, amidst what appears to be a “Mad Max” rejection, the once-mighty 20th Century Fox logo has been ditched, resembling the Statue of Liberty from “Planet of the Apes.” Like the incinerator at the end of “Toy Story 3,” this is a place where your nostalgia goes to die, so it’s fitting that it’s filled with cameos from mismatched Marvel characters (including a card-carrying member of the X-Men who never got his own movie).
Throughout the film, Deadpool wrestles with the desire to “relevance.” This cancer survivor may be virtually immortal, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be forgotten. When it comes to longevity, these heroes find themselves at the mercy of both Marvel and the marketplace. In its own unique way, the film confronts this phenomenon without overstaying its welcome—not only by acknowledging what’s happening to its two main characters, but especially with the montage that plays over the end credits. It’s a poignant summation of Fox’s chapter in the Marvel saga.
Now that he’s back, Deadpool warns Wolverine, “They’re going to make him do this until he’s 90.” Audiences (and Disney) may demand it, though this unique mutant spoof works better as a disrespectful tribute to what came before, rather than a template for future superhero movies.
