Daily News for Marvel Movie

Summary

• Critics praise chemistry between Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in 'Deadpool & Wolverine'.
• R-rated jokes don't hold back, offering dark humor fitting for characters like Deadpool.
• Film includes deep-cut jokes and fan service cameos, adding layers of enjoyment for fans.

Reviews for Deadpool & Wolverine are in, and critics have cited a multitude of reasons why the third entry in Deadpool's cinematic saga deserves high praise. Uniting the relentlessly silly fourth-wall-breaking antics of Ryan Reynold's Deadpool with the comic book movie royalty of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Deadpool & Wolverine aims to kick off the era of mutants in the MCU. General audiences have been apprehensive to feast their eyes on the film, but early screenings from critics have been mostly kind.
At the time of writing, Deadpool & Wolverine boasts 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting a modest-to-high level of success with professional movie critics. While the score still falls just shy of Deadpool and Deadpool 2's critical scores, coming days may yet improve its standing. Either way, reviewers have found plenty to praise about 2024's sole MCU movie, making the film a promising entry into the lauded cinema franchise.
10 Hugh Jackman And Ryan Reynolds Have Great Chemistry "Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are having so much fun on screen it is impossible not to have fun with them." – Nell Minow, Moviemom.com It's safe to say that much of the appeal of Deadpool & Wolverine is predicated on its success as a buddy cop action comedy. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool have technically shared the screen briefly before in the abysmally-received X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but Deadpool & Wolverine promises an extended feature on both characters working together in their full colorful spandex glory. Luckily, critics seem to be in agreement that Jackman and Reynold's chemistry is second-to-none.
The two regenerating mutants seem to be a natural fit for one another, not just in powers, but in personalities, as well. Wolverine is a natural straight man to Deadpool's insatiable goofball, and the two veteran stars piloting the roles pass this assignment with flying colors. Many reviews have praised Jackman and Reynolds' ability to bounce off one another, elevating the physical comedy and verbal jabs to new heights with every scene.
9 The R-Rated Jokes Don't Hold Back "The script also doesn’t hold back, with jokes about “pegging”, cocaine and Jackman’s divorce zinging around." – James Mottram, SCMP.com In inducting Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of the few worries on the minds of astute audiences has been the integration of Deadpool's particular brand of humor into the altogether cleaner MCU. Certainly, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't been afraid to write in the occasional off-color joke. That being said, the MCU is largely a strictly PG-13 affair, with Deadpool & Wolverine being the franchise's first R-rated film in its entire 34-movie run.
Thankfully, critics have put fans at ease that Deadpool & Wolverine makes no sacrifices in sanding down the typically potty-mouthed scripts of the Deadpool films. The Merc with a Mouth is just as off-color as ever with his remarks, bringing up everything from sex acts to drug abuse with joyful candor. That being said, some reviewers have noted the relative sexlessness of the script compared to other Deadpool entries, being the only arena in which the MCU's sanitization has perhaps begun to creep in.
8 Deadpool & Wolverine Has Plenty Of Fan Service Cameos "What we have here is a production full of fan service, in which cameos come every now and then" – Sebastian Zavala Kahn, Me Gusta el Cine Image via Marvel Entertainment As yet another of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's recent romps through the multiverse, it's no surprise that fans are expectant for Deadpool & Wolverine to feature a heavy number of cameos. With both the MCU and Fox's X-Men film timeline on the table, the film has no shortage of previous material to pull from. Critics seem to be raving at the sheer quantity and quality of cameos, references, and easy-to-miss Easter eggs on display, implying that the film has made good on this promise.
In fact, the very nature of these moments of fan service seems to have been making some obscure pulls from Marvel's movie catalog. Several reviews have implied that Deadpool & Wolverine reaches further back than the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even the Fox X-Men films for its references, possibly leaving pre-MCU Marvel banner films like Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy or Ang Lee's Hulk up for brief nods. The multilayered nature of the MCU's multiverse truly makes anything possible.
7 Deadpool & Wolverine Proves The MCU Isn't Out Of Ideas "Deadpool & Wolverine are here not only to offer a return to those good old days pre-snap, but help us remember what made us love the MCU in the first place." – Dan Tabor, Cinapse Custom image by Andy Behbakht It's no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been nearing dire straights as of recent years. After the success of the finale that was the duology of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the series has struggled to maintain pop-culture relevance, with a recent string of box office failures and ominous scrambling to restructure upcoming releases plaguing the franchise. It's safe to say that many are looking to Deadpool & Wolverine to "save" the MCU.
Not only have critics acknowledged this position, but they've reported that the film itself seems to make the MCU's fading legacy a literal plot point. Reviewers have stressed that Deadpool directly acknowledges the series' recent failures, staking his film on the ability to recapture the joy that the series managed to muster in its prime. Luckily, according to many critics, the film seems to succeed at doing so, proving that the MCU still has "some gas left in that Honda Odyssey", according to Dan Tabor of Cinapse.
6 Deadpool & Wolverine Features Two Excellent Villains "Honestly, Macfadyen and Corrin are reason enough to see this in theaters." – Kristy Puchko, Mashable It's no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has long struggled with crafting engaging villains. While the MCU's standout villains are some of the most memorable in cinema, for every well-executed antagonist, the series unleashes a stream of underwhelming foes that perish just as quickly as they're introduced. According to critics, Deadpool & Wolverine is a refreshing exception to this problem, featuring not one, but two well-crafted supervillains with genuine screen presence.
The film's duo of villains consists of Matthew Macfayden's Paradox, an over-zealous TVA agent, and Emma Corrin's Cassandra Nova, Professor X's evil estranged sister who rules over the wasteland of The Void. Corrin's Cassandra Nova has been offered heaps of praise by critics in particular, highlighting her ruthless superiority complex and terrifying powers. Both actors give performances strong enough to justify seeing the film in their own right, a welcome relief for a series infamous for its lackluster villains.
5 Deadpool & Wolverine Is Sufficiently Gory "The MCU has never been this violent – and who knows if we’ll see such sights again." – Cameron Frew, Dexerto Another less-than-savory aspect of Deadpool that warranted worry for being diluted in the MCU is his penchant for extreme violence. Consistently rated R, the Deadpool movies have consistently taken full advantage of their rating, delving into visceral and bloody action scenes that don't hold back in their exploration of human anatomy. Previous films exercised such incredible heights of gore that it was hard to beleive the MCU would be able to stomach bringing Deadpool into their world.
It's a relief, then, that reviewers have reported some eye-wateringly bloody violence on full display in Deadpool & Wolverine. As Cameron Frew of Dexerto states, "One action scene features an adamantium claw spitroast, another person gets their flesh ripped clean off." It's a good thing that the Marvel Cinematic Universe understood not to water down the excessive violence Deadpool's action sequences have come to be known for, doing away with Wolverine's bloodless claw stabs in the majority of the X-Men movies.
4 Deadpool & Wolverine Acknowledges Logan's Perfect Ending "A tribute to the past that’s far less morbid than it initially appears." – Cain Noble-Davies, Filmink Another understandable trepidation some die-hard comic book moviegoers may have going in to Deadpool & Wolverine is the exhumation of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine following the brilliant conclusion to Wolverine's arc that was Logan. Proper endings are rare in superhero cinema, and messing with the somber finality of that film to bring Wolverine back alongside Deadpool of all people is a proposition that shouldn't be taken lightly. Interestingly, reviewers have noted that Deadpool & Wolverine seems to understand this.
Early on, Deadpool appears to literally dig up Wolverine's corpse from the ending of Logan, a macabre meta-commentary on his own film's willingness to revive such an iconic character after he was given a beautiful, bittersweet conclusion. However, Deadpool & Wolverine sidesteps this with a technicality; after all, the Wolverine featured in the film is not the same one from the Fox universe, being from a different timeline entirely. In either case, the fact that the film is willing to acknowledge the delicacy with which it brings back Jackman's character after Logan is a good sign.
3 Deadpool & Wolverine Has Some Of The MCU's Best Action Choreography "A later one-on-one fight mostly confined to a minivan is one of the best action sequences the MCU has offered in years." – Kyle Logan, Screenanarchy Despite spectacle being arguably a bigger aspect of their appeal than raw narrative prowess, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has sometimes struggled with crafting good action choreography. While some entries like Captain America: The Winter Soldier offer pulse-pounding depictions of hand-to-hand combat, other films over-rely on CGI, feeling too weightless in their fight scenes. According to critics, Deadpool & Wolverine just might bring new contenders for the MCU's best fight sequences.
It's true that the previous Deadpool films were intensely creative with their choreography, and director Shawn Levy seems to have kept this tradition alive with the third entry. Kyle Logan of Screenanarchy notes a single action setpiece in particular, set in a minivan, which offers a creative, claustrophibic fight that eschews the traditional conventions of MCU battles. Even if its other aspects were lackluster, Deadpool & Wolverine appears to be worth watching for the fights alone.
2 Hugh Jackman Hasn't Lost His Touch With Playing Wolverine "Jackman still finds the broken soul of his character, and the screenplay spares just enough time to let it flower." – Christian Toto, Hollywoodintoto.com It's been seven years since Hugh Jackman last unsheathed his adamantium claws as Wolverine in Logan. Going into Deadpool & Wolverine, there was a not insignificant fan sentiment that the 55-year-old actor should be spiritually done headlining tentpole comic book blockbusters, and should be allowed to retire to his passion project musicals like The Greatest Showman. That being said, critics seem to assure that Hugh Jackman's performance in Deadpool & Wolverine is anything but tired.
In fact, Wolverine seems to form the brunt of the emotional core of the film, presenting a fundamentally broken variation of the iconic mutant that failed his own world. Many critics allege Jackman's performance to be one of the few earnestly successful elements of the film that isn't protected by a shield of sarcasm, offering an unflinchingly sincere internal journey in the midst of the carnage and comedy. It's unclear if Hugh Jackman would return for another Deadpool team-up, but his ability to play Wolverine clearly hasn't lost a single step.
1 Deadpool & Wolverine Has Some Deep-Cut Jokes And References "I cannot in good conscience even write what films the audience will need to have seen, since that would spoil the effect of half the jokes in the movie when the viewers come to them." – Grant Watson, FictionMachine If there's one thing the Marvel Cinematic Universe has always been good about, it's how much the series trusts its audience. It's rare that appearances of extraneous characters or references to plot developments from other films are meticulously explained; rather, the universe has an implicit trust in its viewers that they'll be able to put the pieces together. According to reviews, Deadpool & Wolverine takes this to the extreme.
By all accounts, the film appears to be inundated with jokes that require years of background knowledge in Marvel properties to appreciate, with several possibly sailing over the heads of all but the most dedicated fans. Even more alarmingly, some jokes even require knowledge of real-life drama revolving around the film's actors, the film being unafraid to make some deep cuts with its humor. This is great for viewers in the know, but might hold back enjoyment for more casual viewers, perhaps explaining why Deadpool & Wolverine is only just clearing 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Moviemom.com, SCMP.com, Me Gusta el Cine, Cinapse, Mashable, Dexerto, Filmink, Screenanarchy, Hollywoodintoto.com, FictionMachine
Upcoming Marvel Movies Release Date Deadpool & Wolverine July 26, 2024 Captain America: Brave New World February 14, 2025 Thunderbolts* May 2, 2025 The Fantastic Four July 25, 2025 Blade November 7, 2025 Avengers: The Kang Dynasty May 1, 2026 Avengers: Secret Wars May 7, 2027