Highlights
- Deadpool & Wolverine early reviews show promising start. Characters continue strong, comedic dynamic.
- Project’s importance for MCU undeniable. Fans thrilled by initial footage, praising humor.
- Stakes high for film’s success. Levy’s vision and stars’ chemistry set to make big impact.
Deadpool & Wolverine has been hotly anticipated since it was announced, and now the first responses from advance showings of the film give fans an early litmus test for whether or not the project is going to live up to the hype.
Deadpool & Wolverine has been heralded as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s savior, even by promotional material for the film itself. As the MCU’s only theatrical release in 2024, this role falls to the film regardless of intention and the cast and crew of the project seemed to have internalized that early on in the creative process. Each new bit of promo for the film served as further reinforcement of how important it was for the health and vitality of the franchise and how much potential stars Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman’s collaboration with director Shawn Levy had to offer.
Some have been questioning the film’s chances for the sort of breakout success that it seems almost required to deliver, especially in light of Deadpool’s special brand of humor finally getting old on the third installment. However, there’s little reason for that sort of doubt now as the first few informal reviews for the film come from creators and correspondents who got to see new footage from the upcoming project. Many of those lucky participants took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their glowing reviews of the material, with several respondents also confirming that the trailers only took content from the first half hour or so of the film (which is all that was previewed).
The praise from the early screenings is cheering, but not unexpected for a project with such a unique and well-highlighted lane. It was confirmed prior that Wolverine wouldn’t be joining Deadpool in one iconic franchise tradition despite also being a main character in the film. This decision, in addition to respecting the legacy of Jackman’s character, almost guarantees that the film brings a formula that’s neither entirely of the Deadpool franchise nor the MCU to really please fans. And pleased they are, with not a negative comment in sight despite viewers present from vastly different publications and niches.
Levy had some choice words concerning the state of the MCU a short while back, and some might say he talked a big game concerning the impact that the upcoming threequel would have on the fanbase. While even those reporting on the film are quick to point out that no one has seen the whole film, these early reactions seem to point to Levy’s money being where his mouth is in terms of delivering a home run. Thanks in part to the nature of Deadpool’s character, the odds of the film fumbling this great first act and ending on a bad note seem pretty low. It’s far more likely that the film keeps pace and ramps up, getting more outlandish and engaging as it wears on. There’s certainly a lot of pressure to get things right regardless, and the end result depends heavily on the vision shared by Levy and the film’s leading men.
All in all, it looks likely that Deadpool & Wolverine could save the summer movie season and maybe even the MCU, bringing fan interest back while the studio scrambles to ensure that 2025’s slate of projects are able to meet the elevated expectations from fans and critics of the franchise alike. While the question of how well Deadpool & Wolverine will do is slowly coming to a conclusion, fans will still have to wait and see what the knock-on effect of that success or failure will be for the rest of the franchise.
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to hit theaters on July 26th, 2024.
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