REVIEW: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ of Fox’s Marvel superheroes
A wild, hilarious bookend to all the Marvel movies from the defunct 20th Century Fox, plus one groundbreaking vampire movie from New Line Cinema that started it all, Deadpool & Wolverine pens a love letter to the early years of live-action superhero flicks from the House of Ideas.
From X-Men to Elektra, the film rights to these intellectual properties were sold to different studios—including 20th Century Fox—in an attempt to save Marvel Entertainment from bankruptcy in the '90s. It did, eventually, after Marvel realized as Thanos did, to make the films themselves, starting with Iron Man, released in 2008. Fast forward to the present—Disney now owns both Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox, and the characters, mostly mutants, have found their way home to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Still, as one ninja assassin puts it, Fox’s characters needed an ending, and to fans, a closure of sorts.
The plot revolves around Deadpool’s timeline losing its anchor entity due to the events of the critically acclaimed Logan (2017), which meant for its eventual destruction. Of course, the Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) would fight tooth and nail to save his home universe against entropy, a rogue unit of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) led by Paradox (Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen), and the evil twin sister of Professor X, Cassandra Nova (The Crown’s Emma Corrin) who rules the Void. Teaming up with Deadpool is a reluctant Wolverine variant (Hugh Jackman) who wears a comicbook-accurate yellow spandex as penance for his sins.
Without going into spoiler territory, one must be familiar with the '90s and 2000s Marvel movies to fully enjoy the film. Knowing that their target audience is mostly millennials who grew up watching these films, Deadpool & Wolverine uses a soundtrack associated with this generation to trigger nostalgia, from *NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye to Avril Lavigne’s I’m With You, though the latter might be because the singer is also Canadian like Reynolds.
The story seamlessly integrates with the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. A binge-watch of two seasons of Loki might be helpful to casual viewers who want to avoid asking their know-it-all companions inside the cinema. This is not necessary as the film provides enough exposition and even blunt episode references. So if you don’t have a Disney+ subscription, go ahead and indulge that geek friend of yours for added context—just control him in annotating every scene.
If you are a homophobic bigot, expect to feel some discomfort as the pansexual superhero and a TVA side character embrace their queerness—both subtly and sagaciously. But if you’re secure with your sexuality and accept diversity, just enjoy a helluva ride of edgy, crass humor.
While jokes, meta references, and fan service abound, the tone shifts to a somber note when needed, especially with the Wolverine’s subplot. Reprising her role in Logan as Wolverine’s clone, X-23, actress Dafne Keen (The Acolyte) provides the much-needed character development for the brooding lone wolf.
Action sequences are top-notch, giving fans what they all wanted in a superhero team-up movie. I’m with Deadpool when he sees Logan’s 200-year-old body (55, in real life) jacked—no pun intended. Seeing the actor still in great superhuman physique will make you want to hit the gym and break your personal record until failure.
Corrin's Cassandra Nova is a fitting Big Bad for the last hurrah of the Fox Marvel heroes ala Thanos of Avengers: Endgame. The character is based on the villain that had sentinels obliterated a country of mutants, a storyline adapted in the Emmy-nominated X-Men '97 animated series. The Princess Diana actress was creepy as hell in portraying an omega-level, OP nihilist.
Under the helm of Stranger Things main producer Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine gives a fantastic and uncanny send-off to the merry mutants, vampire hunters, and ninja assassins of Marvel’s cinematic past. Kevin Feige has big Juggernaut shoes to fill in.
Rated R-16, Deadpool & Wolverine opens in Philippine cinemas on July 24. Stay for a post-credit scene. Watch the trailer below.