‘Deadpool & Wolverine:’ Deadpool Lost in a Multiverse of Marvel Cinematic Madness

There’s been a lot of hang-wringing (or schadenfreude) in the media regarding Marvel Studios and the diminished returns of the last few years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Of course, Marvel Studios experienced a wildly successful / unparalleled run of blockbuster films that included the multiple billion dollar-grossing films Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and more. Then, this ridiculous sense of disaster started to creep in at a time when films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe were still grossing several hundred millions of dollars. They just lacked the interconnectivity that bound the pre-Endgame output. The more recent films lack a sense of direction or (no pun intended) a new endgame, which likely tarnished the sense of urgency around them. Some films still delivered box office if not necessarily quality. The advent of Marvel series on Disney+ didn’t seem to help either, diluting the scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe without enhancing it.

Then came 2023. Last year delivered a major blockbuster in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 and two flops in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the critically reviled The Marvels.

With two financial blemishes on their record, there’s now a sense that the MCU needs saving. Ironically, they’ve turned to Deadpool — the graphic and extremely R-rated metahero — to save them. So, does Deadpool & Wolverine right the ship?

The box office numbers will definitely be astronomic thanks to extreme fan service, but for me, it’s a truly mixed bag.

The film stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular Deadpool and Wolverine. Here, in an intolerable bit of multiverse madness, Deadpool jumps timelines in search of a living Wolverine to take the place of the version of Wolverine who died (see: Logan) in Deadpool’s chosen timeline (which I *think* came about to Deadpool 2’s Cable’s time-jumping wristwatch, and I hate to admit that I know that). With the original alpha male dead, Deadpool’s chosen timeline in which his true love Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) still lives will collapse. So, Deadpool thinks he can thwart the TVA (yes, the same TVA from the Disney+ series Loki) and bring any Wolverine into his timeline to avoid its collapse.

That’s just a micro dose of the actual plot, and I’m already exhausted.

But the plot isn’t really the point of Deadpool films. Audiences flock to them to see Reynolds’ natural gift for lightning-fast comedy and pop culture-drenched gab. For me, that’s where Deadpool & Wolverine doesn’t really work as a film. Because this version of Jackman’s Wolverine is designed to be the emotional anchor of the film, he brings with him an extreme amount of guilt-laden trauma. In no way does that blend with Deadpool’s sarcasm, irreverence, and meta commentary.

There’s a moment toward the end of the film where Wolverine finally reveals the trauma that haunts him. It’s about a 3-minute sequence heavily backed by a dramatic orchestral score. The camera slowly twists around him to elevate and underscore the importance of the scene. Jackman plays it with extreme gravitas in a deeply serious gravelly tone. What I needed in that moment was director Shawn Levy to bring Deadpool in from the background, playing the overwrought score on a tiny violin. Or at least something that would counteract the overly sincere moment that emerges akin to oil in water. But no, this is Wolverine’s trauma, and we must heal him so this emerges as a deeply serious, ACTOR-y moment.

That mixture, though, simply doesn’t work in the film.

Did I laugh? Sure. I think Reynolds is a funny and charming film presence. There’s also a sweet throwback (that I should not spoil) to the early 20th Century Fox Marvel films that provides unexpected emotional connectivity and some genuine laughs. But Deadpool & Wolverine feels as if it’s stranding Deadpool amidst a sea of Marvel Cinematic Universe overkill. Am I the only one who glazes over when characters start talking about timelines and the multiverse? I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. The concept of the multiverse eliminates all stakes in the narrative. Who cares if Wolverine dies in Logan when he can always come back as a variation in Deadpool & Wolverine? I find that defeating and annoying.

But maybe that’s just me, and maybe I’ve moved on from these things.

Deadpool & Wolverine is playing literally everywhere nationwide.