Six years after Wade Wilson’s last big-screen appearance, Deadpool & Wolverine is finally here, and it comes with a lot of hype from fans, especially of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’s because this is the first Deadpool movie since Disney’s acquisition of Fox, leading to hype around Deadpool finally joining the MCU.
Without getting into spoiler territory, it’s fair to say that while this new movie does have some MCU connections, it’s not a movie that will kickstart a new era for Disney’s Marvel universe. It should delight Marvel fans though as it features lots of unexpected appearances, all while delivering lots of violent action and funny moments courtesy of the two leads.
After watching the movie, it’s tough to explain what makes this movie great for Marvel fans without spoiling major plot details. As such, this review won’t dive deep into the film’s story, except for the earlier parts which have already been revealed in the film’s trailers.
As most Marvel fans should already know, Deadpool & Wolverine sees Wade Wilson as he runs into the Time Variance Authority (or the TVA) which was introduced in the TV series Loki. There, Wade is given a mission, and he realizes that his home universe is facing a grave threat.
Because of this, Wade enlists Logan aka Wolverine, though this isn’t the Wolverine that fans of Fox’s X-Men movies are familiar with. We won’t go into detail about this version of Wolverine, but what we can say that the end of the 2017 Logan movie is addressed in this movie. In fact, it’s a pretty significant plot point, and in our opinion is handled quite well.
Aside from its continuity with the Fox Marvel universe, Deadpool & Wolverine also presents a new connection to the MCU via the TVA, though don’t expect the current heavy hitters of the MCU to appear. On the flip side, this film will delight long-time Marvel fans given courtesy of some familiar faces.
Again, we won’t go into detail about these as this is firmly spoiler territory, but what we can say is that the movie’s story can be seen as a love letter to Marvel movies, especially the 20th Century Fox continuity. In fact, this movie has some meta-commentary on Disney’s acquisition of Fox and what it means for the rest of the characters in this universe.
That’s not to say that the film only focuses on multiversal shenanigans. That’s because Deadpool & Wolverine still features plenty of action. Yes, the action is just as violent and gory as the previous Deadpool movies (arguably even more so), not to mention that the characters here gleefully drop lots of f-bombs and other creative swear words.
In that sense, this third Deadpool movie hasn’t really evolved much, for better or worse. For fans who want more of Deadpool’s violent and crass antics, they’ll be delighted by what the new movie presents. On the flip side, those who want an evolution of the character and of the trilogy probably won’t like this movie as much. As such, if you’ve “outgrown” Deadpool’s humor and antics, this movie might not work well for you.
Of course, the movie isn’t all violence and laughs as there are some serious character moments here. Wade gets some sure, but the highlight here is Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. As always, Jackman knocks it out of the park as Logan as he perfectly embodies Wolverine’s ferocious side while delivering some moving and emotional moments of introspection.
As is the case with many superhero movies though, the villains of this movie get the short end of the stick here. Sure, the villains have outlined goals, but the film’s focus on Wade and Logan means the baddies can seem like they’re just there to add tension to the fights. It’s not all bad though as one of the villains has a memorable scene with the Wolverine that delves deep into his psyche.
Despite the (rather expected) villain issue, Deadpool & Wolverine should still delight fans of the franchise. After all, this movie features lots of surprise appearances that will lead to some strong reactions from viewers, all while featuring the pairing of Deadpool and Wolverine that fans have been waiting for.
Sure, it’s not as huge of a shakeup to the Marvel movie universe as some fans are hoping, but what it does have is love for the various Marvel movies and superheroes. This, coupled with its gleefully violent action and funny moments makes Deadpool & Wolverine worth a watch for Marvel fans.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now showing in Philippine cinemas.