Highlights
- Deadpool & Wolverine marks the character’s entry into the MCU without sacrificing R rating.
- Fans fear Marvel’s humor will detract from Deadpool’s unique style in the franchise.
- Despite MCU studio involvement, Ryan Reynolds’ input aims to maintain the character’s essence.
Excitement is building for the third installment in the Deadpool franchise, as it gears up for release in theaters on July 26, 2024. The upcoming sequel sees Hugh Jackman return to his iconic role of Wolverine alongside Ryan Reynolds, in the aptly titled Deadpool & Wolverine. This entry in the series will see the Marvel characters officially enter the MCU, after initially existing in different cinematic universes, which has got fans worried that Marvel might take the humor that has become a signature of the series one step too far.
Deadpool and Deadpool 2 were successful because they gave a knowing wink to the audience, and didn’t rely on being part of a wider story, but the success of those movies ended up with Ryan Reynolds’ iconic character merging with the MCU in the upcoming installment. Hugh Jackman’s appearance as a co-lead has excited fans, and promises to be an interesting direction for the character. It has been confirmed that Deadpool & Wolverine will be set before the events of Logan, which saw the eponymous mutant completing his arc, as he perished at the end of James Mangold’s 2017 movie.
What happened to lead Deadpool to join the MCU?
Deadpool 1 & 2 weren’t part of the MCU, but after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, development on the third Deadpool movie was placed on hold. Marvel Studios took control of the character, and they began preparing for Ryan Reynolds joining the MCU. This change of hands has gotten fans of the franchise worried about the direction of the character, as he joins the much maligned MCU universe.
The plan is to retain the R rating from the previous movies, and make the transition to the MCU as smooth as possible, with Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine adding a new dimension to the upcoming sequel, with the possibility of exploring Wade and Logan’s relationship. But if the movie is to be as successful as the previous two entries, Marvel must make sure they don’t dial up the signature humor that exists in the MCU, as it would undercut what the fans loved about the first two Deadpool movies.
What does Marvel’s signature humor consist of?
The signature humor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe consists of characters communicating with each other through one-liners. As movies have gone from good to bad over the years, these jokes have become harder to stomach. The humor is deadpan, knowing, condescending and, above all, undercutting. A major reason why the Deadpool movies have been such a resounding success is because they existed outside the MCU, and were able to break the fourth wall, and poke fun at other Marvel characters and situations.
There is a danger that Deadpool’s best quotes will have to be replaced in favor of Marvel’s style of humor, and this would totally go against what makes Deadpool tick. Deadpool’s humor is so unique and indicative of his character, which is in contrast to characters in the Marvel universe, whose one-liners could’ve been uttered by a number of different sources.
Will Deadpool & Wolverine overdo the signature Marvel humor?
There is hope that the MCU will manage to integrate Deadpool into the wider universe, without toning down his best qualities, in favor of the kind of humor that has become synonymous with previous Marvel movies. The involvement of Ryan Reynolds in the writing of the screenplay should alleviate a lot of fan’s worries about Deadpool & Wolverine, but studio interference is rife in the MCU, as each movie also needs to fit in with the overarching story.
Deadpool & Wolverine is part of Phase 5 of the MCU, which began with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which was critically panned, and featured some of the worst aspects of the Marvel movies, with plenty of over the top one-liners and tone-deaf humor. It was followed up with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, which represented the best of what Marvel has to offer, with a nice blend of humor, with dialogue befitting of the individual characters.
The pressure is on for Deadpool & Wolverine to return the MCU to its former glory, especially after the box office disaster that was The Marvels in 2023. Deadpool & Wolverine will be the only Marvel movie of 2024, so it must hit all the right notes to get things back on track. The original Deadpool grossed $782.8 million at the global box office in 2016, and Deadpool 2 followed it up with an impressive $785.8 million worldwide gross in 2018.
It has been six long years since the release of that movie, and the industry has changed somewhat in that time, partly due to the Global pandemic and the rise of streaming, but if Deadpool & Wolverine can maintain the humor and fun-filled action that made the first two entries a success, the third entry in the series could be the biggest hit of them all, and propel the MCU back to its glory days.
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