Deadpool & Wolverine

It’s pretty entertaining, bub.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have a bloody good time (and so will you) in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Wade ‘Deadpool’ Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has hit a wall. Typically, he just bounces right off and keeps going, but this obstacle might be insurmountable. After years of violence and quipping, the merc with the mouth wants to do something meaningful.

But what? He’s already turned down being an X-Man and the Avengers aren’t hiring.

Stuck in a midlife crisis, Wade finds a new mission accidentally: His timeline is going to be deleted by the TVA (Time Variance Authority). Wade will be given the chance to survive, but everyone he knows and loves will be erased from existence. The reason? Wade’s timeline is missing a Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who died during the events of Logan.

Instead of accepting his fate, Wade falls back on what he does best: Killing everyone in his way until a solution falls from the sky.

Can Wade save his timeline? Will he find himself a Wolverine? Are people still taking their kids to these curse-laden ultra-violent movies?

Deadpool & Wolverine is not a movie so much as a loving memorial for 20th Century Fox. The historic production company (which used to own the rights to X-Men, Deadpool, Blade, Daredevil, and god help us The Fantastic Four) finally succumbed to the Disney juggernaut in 2019, which meant that the House of Mouse acquired even more delicious IP to chum the fandom waters with. Still, Deadpool proved a problem for Disney’s MCU.

While most Marvel movies are wholesome PG-13 affairs with bloodless fights and moral lessons, the appeal of Deadpool has traditionally been in its willingness to give Mickey Mouse the finger while beheading ten people as the punchline of the bit. It’s meta, it’s foul-mouthed, it’s incredibly violent — it’s the perfect palate cleanser after one too many mass-produced MCU films that have interchangeable character arcs and plots. Though there have been a few artistic highlights, the MCU’s latest stage has fumbled the multiverse and turned their cinematic output into 2.5-hour toy commercials.

So most of Deadpool & Wolverine is really the mourning of 20th Century Fox’s IP and trying to figure out how you fit Hard R Deadpool into the squeaky clean PG-13 universe.

Director Shawn Levy makes the entire film a metaphor for that problem. Wade is worried about a faceless corporation deleting him and everything he loves from existence because it doesn’t fit in with their approved timeline. So he has to prove that violence, snark, and f-bombs are worth saving. They do so by making a Deadpool movie absolutely crammed with Disney favorites like nostalgia porn and recognizable IP as well as Deadpool stalwarts like bloody fights, sex jokes, and sarcasm.

Luckily for Levy and Deadpool, they mostly prove their point.

Reynolds, who has producing and writing credits as well as a starring role, was born to play Deadpool. His trademark snark and delivery are perfect for the Merc with the Mouth. He’s so good at playing the role, he’s basically does it in every project he’s been in for over a decade. But teaming Reynolds with Jackman brings out the best in Reynolds, who really needs a gruff foil for all his gonzo behavior.

Jackman takes on the mantle of Wolverine again after seven years and proves that he’s still got the biceps and mutton chops for the role. He and Reynolds spark off each other so well, it’s kind of silly to keep insisting that Deadpool is in love with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) when he’s got way more chemistry with Logan. Both actors are having a blast, and that energy is infectious. The duo fight and quip at each other like Tracy and Hepburn — admittedly with more gunplay.

And it works. Every scene with Wolverine and Deadpool positively crackles with chemistry and fun.

Levy also makes some concessions to Disney. There are plenty of cameos that reward nerds for consuming all the other film and television properties that fall under the brand umbrella. No, I won’t spoil them, but rest assured they’re all pretty fantastic. Levy also throws in some underwritten forgettable villains to prove the Deadpool franchise will fit right in with the established MCU.

And though nostalgia and charming leads get you a long way in modern blockbuster filmmaking, Deadpool & Wolverine don’t quite stick the landing. If you go into this movie without having watched roughly 30 hours of Fox-made superhero films and 20-ish hours of Marvel TV and movies, good luck understanding what the hell is going on. This is a movie that is solely for those who spend their time consuming superhero IP. If you’ve never heard of the Avengers or passionately defended Daredevil, you’d better hope watching Jackman flex his baby-oiled biceps is enough to fill 2 hours.

But even with those limitations, it’s hard not to enjoy Jackman and Reynolds fighting and quipping their way through the film. It’s a joyous bit of nostalgia and shows just how powerful charisma can be when set to film. If you’re a fan of the previous Deadpool vehicles, don’t worry — Disney hasn’t dulled the sharp edges that make Wade Wilson wonderful. If you’ve never seen a Deadpool movie, I wouldn’t start here, but it’s definitely an excellent place to finish.

Verdict: Profane and hilarious, Deadpool & Wolverine maintains Wade Wilson’s brand while bringing the franchise into the official MCU.

Deadpool & Wolverine is rated R and available in theaters July 26.