Once a year, a very specific film is released in cinemas that almost everyone looks forward to without reservation, that is talked about a lot in advance and that – usually – delivers what is promised. As a rule, this movie becomes the most successful of the year. This was the case with Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” as well as James Cameron’s “Titanic”, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” or “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. The latter was also the last time a production from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was able to claim the top spot in the box office. This year could be the year again: with “Deadpool & Wolverine”.
Disney boss Robert “Bob” Iger has put everything on this one card. No other MCU production has been released in cinemas this year or will be released after Deadpool’s third adventure by the end of the year. After the “fat years”, in which Marvel fans received up to three MCU films a year, this artificial shortage is driving the so-called FOMO (fear of missing out), i.e. the fear of missing something. But it wouldn’t even be necessary. Deadpool and Wolverine are among the most popular Marvel characters on the big screen, and Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are among the most popular stars on the planet. Even if Reynolds doesn’t always hit the mark outside of his role as Wade Wilson, the mercenary with the big mouth, see “IF – Imaginary Friends”, which has now grossed a respectable 183 million US dollars worldwide, he is beyond reproach as Deadpool.
It’s clear that the meeting of these two Marvel characters has the same impact as the reunion of the three screen Spideys in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, if not more. The third Spider-Man adventure in the MCU grossed almost 1.9 billion US dollars worldwide. Due to the higher age rating, it is doubtful that “Deadpool & Wolverine” will manage to get close to this sum, but the magical sound barrier of over one billion US dollars is almost certain. The DC competition proved that it is possible in the form of “Joker”.
The big advantage of Deadpool is that he can make fun of everyone and everything and, thanks to the multiverse, he can make crazy Easter eggs and cameo appearances. One of them is revealed in the brand new trailer for “Deadpool & Wolverine”. So you should only watch it if you don’t mind:
Oh, boy, oh, yeah, that’s Tyler Mane as Sabretooth. The very Sabretooth who fought a brief but legendary duel in Hugh Jackman’s debut as Wolverine in “X-Men”. However, their rivalry was never satisfactorily resolved, as it was Cyclops (James Mardsen) who finished him off on the Statue of Liberty. Now, 24 years after “X-Men”, Wolverine finally gets to finish the duel.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” was a real challenge for Ryan Reynolds
The third part of a film series is always particularly difficult to master: the world and its characters are established, the main characters have already had their development and conflicts and it is usually a matter of bringing this film series to a satisfying conclusion or enriching it with elements that justify further films. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Ryan Reynolds revealed that it was an almost impossible task for him to figure out how to properly realize Deadpool’s debut in the MCU:
“Deadpool & Wolverine” opens in cinemas here on July 26, 2024 (USA). You can stream the two previous films via Disney+.