Ever since set pictures fromDeadpool & Wolverineshowed the titular characters fighting near a collapsed 20th Century Fox logo, it’s been clear the crossover threequel would make even more fun of the studio that made the previous installments in the X-Men franchise than the first two Deadpool films did. But while there are a host of self-aware jibes at the less popular decisions Fox executives made while stewards of Marvel’s mutants,Deadpool & Wolverineis overall much more respectful of its predecessors than one might expect, bidding a mostly fond farewell to the Fox era of Marvelwhile setting up a few of its characters for possible futures within Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Wolverine joins the “merc with a mouth” in the third installment of the Deadpool film franchise.
Deadpool and Wolverine Are Joined by Many Fox Marvel Heroes and Villains
As Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) notes through many of his self-aware comments, X-Man Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is by far the most popular and thoroughly developed character in the Fox Marvel films. While this is mostly a testament to Jackman’s consistently excellent performances and long-term dedication to the role, some ofthe X-Men filmswere criticized for focusing so much attention on him that they left other actors and characters underutilized. Detractors of the Fox era often use this as their main justification for dismissing the entire assortment of films, butDeadpool & Wolverinerecognizes that there is plenty about them that deserves appreciation.In addition to the harsher jokes, there are also plenty of loving references to the strengths of past filmsand once Logan and Wade are banished to the Void, a wasteland dimension introduced in theLokiDisney+ series,a host of actors reprise their roles from Fox Marvel films. The film’s main villain,Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), is served by an army of variants of past antagonists, including John Allerdyce/Pyro and Victor Creed/Sabretooth, withAaron StanfordandTyler Manereprising their respective parts from prior X-Men films. Logan and Wade are also captured alongside Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, with the MCU’s first Captain America,Chris Evans, returning to his original Marvel role as the fire-powered member of the Fantastic Four.
Johnny is a member of a small resistance group fighting against Cassandra’s rule of the Void, andhis teammates, who Logan and Wade meet after his death, are the film’s other biggest returning Marvel players. The surviving members of the resistance are mercenaryElektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner), who was introduced in theDaredevilfilm before headlining her own spin-off, mutant Remy LeBeau/Gambit (Channing Tatum, in a role he’s long been associated withbut never actually gotten the chance to play), vampire hunter Eric Brooks/Blade (Wesley Snipes), andLaura/X-23 (Dafne Keen), the cloned daughter of a variant of Wolverine who died in the acclaimed 2017 filmLogan.
‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Gives Returning Heroes Closure
Of these characters,Laurais the most important to the film’s narrative, as her recollections of her father and his sacrifice motivate the new Logan variant to move past the self-loathing he’s felt after not being around to save his world’s X-Men from a massacre. Eventually, Logan resumes his place as a hero, even compassionately attempting to appeal to Cassandra’s humanity, as he knows the X-Men’s founder, Charles Xavier (who was also a variant of Cassandra’s brother), would, and this is due in no small part to the effect meeting Laura has on him. But the other heroes are also significant in their own ways, especially to the film’s celebration of its predecessors.Elektra notes how being taken to the Void prevented their life stories from getting proper endings, in a thinly veiled reference to the anti-climactic way Garner’s tenure in the role concluded after the unsuccessfulElektra. And, while Gambit’s role may seem random to viewers unaware of Tatum’s history with the part, for those that are in the know, it’s a treat to see him take on his dream role and his intentionally hammy performance makes it clear he’s having a great time doing so.
At the end of the film, Wade urges TVA agent B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) to find a way to free their new friends from the Void. Laura is subsequently shown joining Logan as Wade introduces them to his found family in his home universe, implying that B-15 was likely successful in rescuing all the resistance characters.This opens the door for some or all of them to make further appearances as the MCU’s Multiverse Sagacontinues along, potentially with Wade and Logan. Keen and Tatum could also potentially portray versions of Laura and Remy from the MCU’s main universe, to which mutant characters are being gradually introduced, but different actors already play or are set to playElektra, Blade, andJohnnyin that world. But there’s no guarantee either of those things will happen. Luckily,Deadpool & Wolverinedoes a great job of bringing closure to their talesif it is indeed the last time viewers see them, and this is greatly appreciated by fans of the characters.
The Deadpool Films Approach Fan Service in Surprising Ways
As strong as it is overall, however, there are some strange inclusions and exclusions among the film’s efforts at homage.Snipes’ Blade films, for example, were produced by New Line Cinema rather than Fox, so the character does stand out somewhat given the film’s general focus on the work of the latter studio. But given that the originalBlade, which was released in 1998, was crucial to reviving the comic book movie genre (along with 2000’sX-Men) after an assortment of derided releases from earlier in the 1990s, and the fact that Reynolds' first Marvel role was as Hannibal King inBlade: Trinity, which receives a subtle callback from Wade,Snipes’ return is mostly still fitting. Likewise, it is also somewhat odd thatJon Favreau’sDaredevilcharacter, Foggy Nelson, is not featured or referenced in the movie itself, given the actor does appear in his MCU role as Happy Hogan. But, in addition to the self-awareness, a big part of the appeal of the Deadpool movies is the unpredictable nature of their humor, so ultimately, it’s okay that not all of the choices regarding what references to make and not make are the ones fans would expect.
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Ends With a Classy Tribute To Past Films
Before a post-credits scenein which Wade finds TVA surveillance footage proving Johnny did, in fact, deliver the foul-mouthed tirade against Cassandra that Wade later quotes, the actual ending credits themselves are accompanied by brief clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Fox films and their productions, set to Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”. The actors are shown both in character and simply enjoying their time on set (Favreau can be seen acting oppositeBen Affleckas Matt Murdock/Daredevil) and clips from previous interviews with Jackman and Reynolds are incorporated. Even some of the actors who were not incorporated intoDeadpool & Wolverineitself are shown, alongside members of the respective crews. This was a perfect, surprisingly moving note to end the film on, as it highlighted that,despite whatever legitimate flaws they may have had, a lot of passion and loving work went into the films, and they provided a generation’s worth of entertainment that still deserves to be appreciated.
Deadpool & Wolverineis in theaters now.
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