Marvel is back in theaters and this time with the first-ever R-rating in the MCU. Courtesy of the Merc with the Mouth himself, Deadpool, The third entry into the formerly 20th Century Fox Superhero franchise, aims to bring a more mature themed hero into their universe. So get ready for a gory, swear-filled, action-packed good time with Deadpool & Wolverine.
After Deadpool uses the Time travel device in Deadpool 2, his life has not been the best. Working a boring dead-end job, Wade Wilson seeks out a purpose and to indeed be significant. An opportunity arises when the Time Variance Authority takes him to join the main timeline of the MCU. But when his original universe is threatened, Deadpool must seek help from the most famous of the X-Men, Logan, AKA Wolverine. With time quickly running out, Deadpool must find a way to work with this new Wolverine and save his universe and possibly the entirety of the multiverse.
Ryan Reynolds returns once again as the Merc with the Mouth for the third time, a role that has skyrocketed his fame to new heights since the first movie in 2016, and to those who were afraid that the Disney/20th Century Fox merger would tone down the character, worry not. Deadpool’s characterization is still just as funny and naughty as in the other films. Joining Ryan in this film is the unforeseen return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, a role he has played since X-Men in 2000. He still plays the role amazingly well, to the point where it feels like he never left. Die Hard comic fans will be pleased to see the character don his iconic yellow costume from the comic, which fans have wanted for years.
The main villain of this movie, Cassandra Nova, is portrayed well by Emma Corrin, who mixes the villain with a mixture of the portrayals of Charles Xavier and a bit of evil. Despite her short screen time, she makes the villain exciting and fun. There are additional cameos throughout the film, but I won't discuss them here because this is a spoiler-free review. I will say that fans of the 20th Century Fox era and pre-MCU Marvel films will not be disappointed in who shows up.
The film first focuses on character, emotions, and humor but handles its action scenes well. The furiosity of Wolverine’s fighting style is brought to life by the fantastic choreography and Hugh Jackman’s performance. Deadpool fights with a mixture of Gunplay and Martial arts from his training in the military. There are a lot of action setpieces mainly focusing on Deadpool and Wolverine’s fights either against each other or side by side. With both of them being hard to kill, this allows the brutality of their fight not to hold anything back. The film's opening fight is one of the most memorable and funniest fight scenes in the MCU in recent history.
After seeing this film, my faith in the MCU has been reignited. The performances, fights, and overall presentation of Deadpool and Wolverine have shown that there is still fantastic potential in the Marvel Universe. The film also is a farewell tribute to the X-Men world, which has been building a fan base for almost 24 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are even more R-rated Marvel films in the future. Don’t wait for this film to land on Disney+. This, like Avengers: Endgame, is an event to be experienced by a group—a must-see for any Marvel fan (Over 18, at least). There is one end-credit scene.