Wolverine and Deadpool have similar origins, with both receiving their powers from the Weapon X project. Logan was endowed with an adamantium skeleton, while Wade Wilson, who was battling cancer, contained Wolverine’s healing factor in his DNA. Ryan Reynolds first played the Merc with a Mouth in the controversial film X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). The backlash against the film prompted Reynolds to champion a standalone Deadpool series, a role he has embraced with humor and self-awareness. In a post-credits scene of Deadpool 2, the character humorously time-travels to eliminate his flawed cinematic self from the previous film. Fans and Ryan Reynolds himself have been asking for a dream team-up between Wolverine and Deadpool and the current film is, in a way, a wish-fulfillment.
However, the question remains whether we should call it a movie or creator Kevin Feige’s biggest gamble yet to revive the Marvel empire. His last three-four projects have failed miserably and he really needed something big to bring the fans back. So Deadpool and Wolverine plays an important role in the sense that it gives the studio a chance to say goodbye to some much-loved characters and also makes way for future incarnations of the characters, who the film hints at. They can be played by other people. stars than the original cast. Plus the clever use of TVA really gives them the chance to play around different timelines and team-ups. So, we may, in the future, see a potential Avengers and X-Men crossover and possibly a Fantastic Four team-up with other superheroes from the Marvel universe.
Ryan Reynolds has made it his life’s mission to make Deadpool as outrageous and self-aware as possible. And it’s good to know that Marvel, and more importantly, its parent company Disney, has given them permission to do exactly that in the third film of the Deadpool franchise. So expect there to be plenty of profanity throughout the film. And given the way the fourth wall is broken so many times, they might as well have shot the movie in front of a live audience. Reynolds even makes a joke about misuse of the device at one point, a hilarious bit of writing that will stick more in your mind if you know his filmography. He neither avoids roasting himself nor others. Everyone from Disney, Marvel, his co-star Hugh Jackman, the entire Marvel obsession with character revivals, Hollywood politics, even the Mad Max franchise, is fair game. And don’t miss the end credits scene because it’s where Reynolds gets his biggest wish.
The jokes in this movie fly faster than bullets. And there’s plenty of gory action to satisfy the most avid action fans. And there are plenty of cameos to make fans scream. Comic book buffs will definitely enjoy counting down all the character cameos.
Hugh Jackman gets a nice redemption arc here, which meshes well with his character’s broader personality. Logan was arguably his best Wolverine incarnation. He comes close to touching it as a stranger in a strange land, fighting his inner demons and ultimately succeeding. However the film’s comedic treatment is not on par with the more serious brand of acting associated with Jackman. It seems like Reynolds is again having the time of his life playing a character he revived on the air and making it the counterpart to everything Marvel is. The gags keep coming thick and fast but there’s also a tragic vein running underneath that comes to the fore occasionally.
Watch the movie for the great chemistry between the two leads. And for all the cameos to count. And of course for unprovoked violence. Deadpool and Wolverine shows what movies based on comic books can be like. Now, it’s up to the creators to learn the lesson and reshape the Marvel universe.