Review by Curt Holman
Marvel Studios
How many times can you break the fourth wall before the whole house collapses? Deadpool & Wolverine puts that idea to the test, putting more winky asides, in-jokes and knowing references than you imagine could fit in a 128-minute run time.
Let me say at the top that I laughed frequently and enthusiastically throughout Deadpool & Wolverine, so the jokes certainly worked for me. But I also lost patience with it many, many times, leaving me ambivalent about the R-rated superhero comedy.
As established in Ryan Reynolds’ previous Deadpool movies, the titular character’s shtick-in-trade is profane jokes about superhero franchises and their obsessive audiences: Deadpool was mocking both Wolverine and actor Hugh Jackman within minutes of his first appearance in 2016. But the Deadpool movies are all part of a zillion-dollar IP enterprise, so the “outrageous” comedy never gets in the way of the commerce.
As the new film all but states outright, in 2019 Disney bought Fox, so now characters like Deadpool and the X-Men can legally be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside, say, the Avengers. Deadpool’s frivolous running gags are almost literally part of the new film’s text as he wonders whether he can be “Marvel Jesus,” redeeming the series from its current creative and financial slump.
I won’t spoil any of the film’s surprise cameos or big set-pieces. Following the events of 2018’s Deadpool 2, “The Merc With the Mouth” has theoretically retired and taken an unlikely 9-to-5 job, but still wishes to prove himself as a hero. He gets the chance thanks to a scheming bureaucrat (Matthew Macfayden) from the Time Variance Authority, the time-traveling organization you may remember from the Loki TV series. Deadpool learns that his home universe is at risk and only a certain clawed, Canadian X-Man can put things right – and the events of Logan have left Wolverine, uh, indisposed.
Deadpool uses multiversal shenanigans to find an alternate Wolverine who’s even more sour and cynical than the character’s usual disposition. Jackman retains the brooding charisma he’s brought to role for almost 25 years, and proves extremely game to play Reynolds’ snarling straight man. It’s a shame that Wolverine’s arc feels so derivative of his many previous film appearances. His comics-accurate yellow costume plays a weirdly pivotal role.
The mismatched duo’s adventures lead to riffs on Wolverine’s comic book history, Reynolds’ acting career and years of high-profile superhero movies. Some of the jokes can be inspired: a garbage-strewn wasteland includes a massive 20th Century Fox logo slumping in the background. But even more than in Deadpool’s previous outings, the new film’s script presumes the audience has a lot of nerd-knowledge, which may easily annoy the many viewers who don’t.
Jackman gives the film at least a little poignancy, which is an accomplishment with Reynolds’ raunchy, red-suited blabbermouth constantly riffing on him. But that’s an essential challenge with making Deadpool a feature film protagonist: how seriously can we take the emotional life of this insolent wisecracker who’s happy to kill enemies in grisly, undignified ways?
Jokes about Deadpool falling in love with the multiverse’s ugliest dog land far better than laugh-free moments when the character wants to earn the respect of others or considers a noble sacrifice. It’s not even Reynolds’ fault, given how much of the silliness is baked into the character. At least his smarty-pants delivery is still tolerable here, even as it’s seeped into most of his other screen appearances. And Reynolds deserves credit for his physical comedy as Deadpool, showcasing the goofiness of superhero costumes.
Directed by Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine delivers a few flashes of creativity, including an outlandish title sequence, an unnerving body-horror image that conveys telepathic powers and one or two good action scenes. But the relentlessness of its filthy one-liners and gory slapstick can feel desperate, as if Disney really wants to prove it can be in on the joke.
As 2024’s only MCU release, Deadpool & Wolverine arrives just as the snappy humor that was once one of Marvel Studios’ greatest strengths is showing its age. Tony Stark’s rapid patter set a winning, breezy tone for the franchise, giving viewers permission to laugh at the comic book content. More than 30 films later, the knee-jerk comedic instinct can feel glib and cynical. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, like the recent Spider-Verse films, prove that comic book fare can be light-hearted but also earnest.
A little self-aware humor can go a long way, and Deadpool & Wolverine doubles down on the gags. It will doubtless be a big hit while possibly alienating the jaded audiences Marvel wants to win back. Deadpool & Wolverine positions itself as a kind of valediction for Fox’s superhero movies. One hopes that the studio is also bidding farewell to a kind of sarcastic superhero comedy that’s worn out its welcome.
Deadpool & Wolverine. B-. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman. Directed by Shawn Levy. Rated R.