We last saw the Merc with a Mouth “cleaning up the timeline” in a time travel post-credit scene of Deadpool 2 (2018) where he told Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) that he’ll eventually hang up the claws – of course referring to Jackman’s decision to retire the character following Logan (2017). But “one day [his] ol’ pale Wade would ask him to get back in the saddle again.” Shock and awe shook the internet four years later when Ryan Reynolds delivered on that promise announcing the return of Deadpool with none other than Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Flames of excitement were rejuvenated last year with an on-set photo leak quickly followed by fake versions doctored with Reynolds’ sense of humor. After several updates, a teaser, and an official trailer full of hints and surprises to the tune of Madonna’s Like a Prayer, the wait is finally over. How does Deadpool & Wolverine stack up after all the fanatical hype? Is Deadpool’s third installment what’s needed to save the MCU? LFG!
Opening with a familiar grave site and an even more familiar narration, Deadpool & Wolverine dives straight into comedy before launching a humorous gore-tastic action sequence to ‘N Sync’s hit song Bye Bye Bye. Fans who fell in love with this live action version of the mercenary in 2016 know this is the only true way for Deadpool opening credits to commence. Pausing to bring the audience up to speed, Deadpool a.k.a Wade Wilson a.k.a Ryan Reynolds, who still embodies the character to perfection, takes us back to the weeks leading up to this melee.
After the time travel post-credit scene of Deadpool 2 saw the love of his life Vanessa (Morena Baccarin: Deadpool 1 & 2) saved from a bullet, you would think Wade would be blissfully living his best life. In an attempt to stay spoil-free, I’ll simply say this. He isn’t. Reaching for a bigger purpose and falling short, Wade seems to be ready to hang up the spandex — that is until opportunity knocks at his door wielding time sticks.
Maintaining a well-earned R-rating, Deadpool delivers raunchy one-liners and witty wisecracks while brawling with Wolverine who wants nothing more than to stay at the bottom of a bottle. Jackman proves he’s still the one and only Wolverine as the two characters play off one another like the frenemies we expected them to be. Periodically breaking the fourth wall with jokes, Wade makes several references to Disney acquiring the rights to his character. This becomes an underlying theme with the Merc with a Mouth’s outspoken desire to join the superhero big leagues.
Although packed full of comic book references and surprise cameos, the plot takes some unexpected turns, though it doesn’t reach the depth I hoped with Cassandra Nova making her grand cinematic appearance. Emma Corrin (A Murder at the End of the World mini series) gives a fantastic performance as the supervillain. However, the plotline involving her development within the story is surprisingly underwhelming. I mean, this is Professor Xavier’s evil twin we’re talking about. She can melt the skin off your bones with a flick of her wrist. A Thanos-esque buildup to such a powerful adversary could have rectified this shortcoming and taken Deadpool & Wolverine to another level.
So, is our favorite Merc’s third outting the savior the MCU needs? Short answer … no. This is no Endgame. But it certainly has a whole lotta heart. Now that everything falls under Disney’s domain, forgotten and discarded MCU characters make appearances that will fill fans with nearly the type of excitement we haven’t seen since Cap wielding Mjollnir. Although I would have loved to see more flashbacks of this featured Wolverine’s haunting dark past, Deadpool & Wolverine is about new beginnings, redemption, and reaching new heights.
Currently sitting at a 8.3/10 on IMDb, ranking higher than the character’s previous two installments, this return of Deadpool breathes some new life into the MCU, which has simply lost momentum over the last 5 years. One scene even hints at something possibly coming down the pipeline giving much needed direction to this phase of the MCU. Those who have seen the film may laugh this off as Deadpool multiverse humor. However, we once thought the same thing about the Deadpool 2 post-credit Wolverine scene.
If Deadpool & Wolverine happens to be your first Merc with a Mouth rodeo, no need to worry. Deadpool and MCU trivia is more luxury rather than necessity for this explosive long awaited mutant team-up. However, the more you know, the more fun you will have with this treasure trove of Easter eggs, nods, references, and inside jokes for nerds.
