'Deadpool & Wolverine' is a self-parodying drag.
When Fox Studios released the first Deadpool movie in 2016, it felt like a funny cure for our tiredness of superhero films. Wade Wilson, also
known as Deadpool, was a foul-mouthed mercenary who broke the fourth wall with humor and violence.
Deadpool often turned to the camera and mocked superhero movie clichés with such deadpan wit that you almost forgot you were watching a superhero
movie. Ryan Reynolds, Hollywood’s snarkiest leading man, seemed made to play this vulgar vigilante. I enjoyed the movie, but one was enough; by the time Deadpool 2 came out in 2018, the self-aware humor felt too smug.
Now we have a third movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, created after Disney bought Fox. This merger brought Deadpool and other X-Men characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The new movie tries to make fun of its complicated corporate background; Deadpool even says, “Marvel’s so stupid.” But it also has to fit into the MCU’s storylines. It tries to be both a brand extension and a satire of brand extensions.
The movie pairs Deadpool with Logan, or Wolverine, the most famous X-Man with unbreakable bones and metal claws, played by a
muscular Hugh Jackman. The combination works well, not just because both characters are Canadian. In earlier movies, Deadpool often joked about
Wolverine. Both characters are essentially immortal and can heal quickly from injuries. Both are haunted by past failures and seek redemption.
Onscreen, they have good chemistry, with Jackman’s brooding silences contrasting nicely with Reynolds’ rapid-fire delivery.