Universes and movie franchises collide in Deadpool & Wolverine, the blockbuster crossover that functions simultaneously as: 1) a trilogy-capping sequel to the popular Deadpool series, 2) the official merger of the X-Men (and some other less-loved stragglers) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and 3) the point where Disney gives up pretending that any of this superhero shit ever made sense or had a coherent mythology.
More accurately, it may be better said that Deadpool & Wolverine is the point where Marvel and its corporate owners have given up catering to the small segment of comic book fandom that obsesses over canon, often to the annoyance of general moviegoing audiences. That decision seems to have paid off handsomely, as the film was a billion-dollar box office smash over the summer and will undoubtedly have a very healthy afterlife on home video and streaming. In the long run, however, I wonder if it will also mark the moment where both Deadpool’s shtick and the multiverse trope went too far and started to wear out their welcomes.
| Title: | Deadpool & Wolverine |
| Year of Release: | 2024 |
| Director: | Shawn Levy |
| Watched On: | 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray |
| Available On: | Blu-ray Blu-ray 3D Disney+ Various VOD purchase and rental platforms |
Ever since Disney purchased 20th Century Fox back in 2019, the company has struggled to find an excuse to integrate the waning X-Men franchise into the MCU. Until now, the main thing preventing that was the pesky little matter of story logic. Specifically, if the X-Men had been around having their own adventures for the past couple decades (as we’ve seen in earlier movies), where the hell were they when Thanos tried to destroy the universe, and why didn’t they help the Avengers fight that battle?
The studio finally cracked that code this summer, and needed some assistance doing it from the foul-mouthed Deadpool, whose fourth-wall-breaking antics offered a perfect excuse to throw away twenty-something years of narrative continuity and start over again. As fully expected, the solution falls back on the same answer that just about every comic book franchise has overused in recent years: It’s a multiverse thing.
Tolerant fans will recall that, before branching off into his more successful solo outings, Ryan Reynolds debuted his portrayal of the smartass “merc with a mouth” in the misbegotten prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That movie was so widely disliked that subsequent X-Men and Deadpool movies ignored it completely. Apologies for the spoiler (which this entry freely divulges up front), but Hugh Jackman’s iconic Wolverine character also died in 2017’s Logan. Fortunately, problems like these are easy enough to hand-wave away when you can blame everything on a multiverse.
The new crossover opens with Deadpool applying for a job to join the Avengers in “The Sacred Timeline” of Earth-616. In doing so, he learns that his own universe is dying, and has been scheduled for imminent eradication by the bureaucratic Time Variance Authority, headed by an unsympathetic dickhead named Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen). Unwilling to let everyone he loves be wiped away, Deadpool travels the multiverse to seek help from the greatest superhero he’s ever known – or at least some alternate version of him that hasn’t yet been killed off. Frustratingly, the only one he can find available is decidedly the worst Wolverine, a drunkard loser whose main notable quality is that he isn’t too embarrassed to wear the silly yellow jumpsuit from the comics.
On their quest for redemption, Deadpool and this Wolverine wind up in an apocalyptic wasteland called the Void, a dumping ground for Marvel rejects from across the multiverse. In there, they encounter Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), Professor Xavier’s unstable twin sister, who has her own evil machinations. To defeat her and stop Mr. Paradox, they must join forces with a host of failed and washed-up superheroes, among them literally hundreds of Deadpool variants of many sizes, shapes, genders, and species.
Unquestionably, the best quality of Deadpool & Wolverine is the film’s love for any and all Marvel superhero movies, even (if not especially) the bad ones. Numerous familiar faces make cameo appearances much too fun for me to spoil here. Seeing some of these actors show up on screen again playing roles they’d long since abandoned is a true delight. The movie is an affectionate tribute to some outright terrible duds, and the attachments fans can form to them (or at least to specific aspects of them) against their better judgment.
In other respects, Deadpool & Wolverine is modestly amusing, but honestly, a little less so than the prior two Deadpool movies, in my opinion. The plot meanders all over the place something awful, and the character’s never-ending stream of raunchy sex jokes and wink-wink metatextual references feel a little forced this time out. That the film was such a huge box office hit is more a testament to the effectiveness of its marketing than a measure of its quality. I enjoyed it well enough, but frankly, after three movies, the routine is getting tired.
The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
After its billion-dollar box office run over the summer, Deadpool & Wolverine became available for home viewing via digital download on October 1st, followed by physical media a few weeks later on October 22nd. Although all copies in North America present only the primary 2D version of the movie, a 3D Blu-ray will be released in Japan this December (at a high markup, unfortunately) to satisfy the remaining 3D enthusiasts out there.
In addition to a standard keepcase, the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray was offered in a choice of two different SteelBook editions, one emphasizing Deadpool on the front artwork and the other emphasizing Wolverine. I opted for the latter. Both were limited items that sold quickly and already appear to be out of stock at most retailers. (As I write this, Bullmoose claims to still have some copies of the Deadpool cover available.)
As a brand-new, $200 million tentpole movie, the 4K transfer is just about everything a home theater fan could want. Picture quality is exceptionally sharp and detailed, with rich colors, excellent contrast, and a nice application of HDR. Photographed digitally, the image has not a trace of grain or noise, which is appropriate for the format in this case.
The movie maintains a constant 2.39:1 aspect ratio. While not a Variable Aspect Ratio production, the IMAX 3D version of the film included select moments where frame-breaking effects would extend outside the main image and poke into the letterbox bars. That gimmick has not been retained here. I don’t plan to buy the 3D edition and can’t say how that will handle this issue.
The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is satisfyingly immersive. Sound effects zip through the surround speakers all over the place, and I noticed at least one of the songs blaring from overhead. The mix has a great deal of very loud, rumbly bass. Frankly, it might be a little obnoxious in that regard, but in a fun way. Just be careful with your volume if watching late at night.
Very little effort was put into the supplement package. The only extra on the 4K disc is an audio commentary by director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds. The accompanying Blu-ray also adds two minutes of deleted scenes, a brief gag reel, some jokey skits with Reynolds clowning around in costume, and four puff-piece featurettes (each ten minutes or less).
Related
- X-Men Franchise
- Shawn Levy (director)
Note: All screenshots on this page were taken from the Blu-ray edition of the film and are used for illustration purposes only.
The Video File Blog 
Ha, funny coincidence. Had seen this movie in the theatre on my own in August, and started a rewatch yesterday (while you were uploading or planning to upload this article) with the spouse. ‘D&W’ offers some funny moments, but 1 and 2 are most definitely better movies.
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