Spoilers for all preceding entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and X-Men Film Series will remain unmarked! You Have Been Warned!
"I don't know anything about saving worlds, but you do! [...] You were an X-Man. You were the X-Man."
— The Merc with a Mouth
Deadpool & Wolverine is a 2024 superhero action comedy film, simultaneously serving as the fourth film and eighth overall installment of Phase Five in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the third entry of the Deadpool trilogy, and the quasi-Grand Finale of the X-Men Film Series and Twentieth Century Fox's Marvel films as a whole.
Several years after his corporate acquisition by Disney along with Fox's other intellectual property, ex-special forces operative turned horribly disfigured mercenary with a mutant Healing Factor, Wade Wilson / Deadpool, has settled into a quiet, idyllic life with his family and friends as a horribly disfigured car salesman. However, after the Time Variance Authority crashes his birthday, Wade finds himself being given an offer he can't refuse: perform a dangerous, multiverse-hopping mission, and in return walk among the highest-grossing superheroes of all time (and finally get those sweet, sweet Disney franchising rights) by taking his place in the MCU. Sadly for poor Deadpool, said mission requires Wade to take on what the TVA claims is a threat to the entire multiverse, Professor Xavier’s sadistic Alternate Universe sister with all his potent Psychic Powers, Cassandra Nova. With everything and everyone he knows on the line, Wade’s only hope may be hooking up with a variant of the most famous of the X-Men, Logan / Wolverine, who already failed his own world. After all, there's nothing like coming together.
Ryan Reynolds reprises his role as the Merc with a Mouth and co-writes alongside Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy, who also directs. Reuniting with Reynolds onscreen are Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Rob Delaney, Lewis Tan, Stefan Kapičić, with Jennifer Garner reprising her Daredevil role as Elektra, Aaron Stanford as the former X-Man Pyro, and Hugh Jackman returning to his iconic role as Logan / Wolverine. Newcomers to the cast include Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova and Matthew Macfadyen as Agent Paradox, a member of the TVA.
The film will release on July 26, 2024, marking the first R-rated theatrical installment of the MCU.
Previews: Teaser Trailer
, Trailer 1
Deadpool & Wolverine contains examples of:
- Adaptational Attractiveness:
- Subverted. The trailer starts with Wade having a full head of hair, his scarring merely making him look like an older man instead of a freak. Once the TVA arrives to capture him, however, it's revealed that he was wearing a toupee, complete with visible hair plugs in later scenes.
- Played straight with Cassandra Nova. In the comics, she is incredibly wrinkly and generally unpleasant to look at. But in the main trailer, nothing is done to diminish Emma Corrin's good looks besides being bald.
- Adaptational Modesty: The trailers and promotional images show Wolverine in a yellow and blue suit inspired by his look from the Astonishing X-Men comics. While Wolverine's costumes are usually sleeveless, this movie's suit starts out with full-length sleeves in a case of Pragmatic Adaptation; Hugh Jackman requested more coverage due to his recent history with skin cancer. The main trailer shows that he does eventually lose the sleeves somehow.
- Adaptation Distillation: The main trailer introduces elements from Old Man Logan, featuring a Wolverine variant who is all alone after he failed to save his universe and a city made from the giant corpse of Ant-Man.
- Arc Welding: In addition to serving as a continuation of the events of Deadpool and Deadpool 2 (and by extension the original X-Men film franchise), this film is picking up elements from Loki (the inclusion of the TVA, the Void, Alioth, etc.) as seen in the trailers.
- Armor-Piercing Question: In the first trailer, seemingly before their fight, Deadpool tries to get Wolverine to help him save his world but he shoots back that it's not his problem before attempting to walk off, which causes Deadpool to ask him this (doubles as a What the Hell, Hero?):Deadpool: Is that what you said when your world went to shit?!
- Ascended Fanboy: Deadpool was already aware of Wolverine and the MCU before he even met them. And now he has the grand pleasure of getting to work alongside the X-Man for a chance at joining the Sacred Timeline courtesy of Paradox and the TVA.
- A Birthday, Not a Break: As seen in the teaser, the TVA comes for Wade during the middle of his birthday party.
- Bait-and-Switch: The teaser and main trailer introduce Cassandra sitting in a wheelchair coming up to a ramp in a Professor X parallel, only for later in the main trailer to then have her stand up out of the wheelchair and the ramp's panels to flip up into a set of stairs.
- Biting-the-Hand Humor:
- In the trailer, when surrounded by TVA agents wielding batons, Wade claims that, "Pegging isn’t new to me, friendo, but it is for Disney," before briefly looking into the camera.
- The main fight scene of the trailer is done next to a 20th Century Fox logo, which is clearly in disrepair and half-buried in the Void, Disney effectively having pruned the entire studio.
- When Blind Al asks if Wade wants to do cocaine in the main trailer, Wade immediately panics, telling her that the drug is, "the one thing that Feige said is off-limits."
- Blasphemous Boast: In the trailer, Wade declares, "I am the Messiah. I...am...Marvel Jesus."
- Bling-Bling-BANG!: The first trailer shows Deadpool wielding two golden Desert Eagles.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Natch. Deadpool's line about pegging being new to Disney, as well as his whole "Marvel Jesus" remark, straight up shatters the fourth wall right out of the gate. The full trailer goes even further and has him namedrop Kevin Feige.
- Bring My Brown Pants: Naturally, in the trailer, the TVA Agent mentions to Wade that he soiled himself while unconscious. Wade mentions back that he was not unconscious.
- The Bus Came Back:
- As seen in the trailer, Aaron Stanford's Pyro returns eighteen years after his last appearance in X-Men: The Last Stand. And of course, Hugh Jackman himself returns as Wolverine after allegedly being done playing the character in Logan.
- As shown during the trailer's fight in the Void, Alioth reappears for the first time since Loki.
- The Main trailer also shows the return of characters who have not been seen in the franchise for years such as Lady Deathstrike from X2: X-Men United and Azazel from X-Men: First Class.
- Call-Back:
- In the trailer, Paradox entices Wade into giving his aid with screens showing footage of past MCU films, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Thor: Ragnarok.
- Also in the trailer, when the TVA agents brandish their stun rods, Wade warns them, "Pegging isn't new for me," referring to when he and Vanessa "celebrated" International Women's Day.
- Wade once again hides behind cover and shouts for the armed militia sent after him to, "WAIT!"
- The first official trailer shows the Wolverine variant telling Wade, "Go fuck yourself," the same thing Wolverine told Xavier and Magneto in X-Men: First Class. Wolverine also said a variation of this line in The Wolverine.
- While attempting to use a euphemism for cocaine in the main trailer, Blind Al asks if Wade wants to "build a snowman".
- Canon Welding: The trailer has characters from Marvel properties previously produced for cinemas by Twentieth Century Fox brought together with those produced by Marvel Studios via the Time Variance Authority forcefully recruiting Wade Wilson.
- Costume Evolution: Trailers and images show that Deadpool's suit has a more saturated red compared to the maroon colors of his previous films.
- Continuity Nod:
- While Word of God after Deadpool 2 confirmed this was the case, Vanessa being present during Wade's birthday party in the teaser solidifies that her death in Deadpool 2 was indeed undone during the mid-credits sequence.
- The TVA's new hourglass-shaped logo that was seen in the War Room at the end of Loki's second season can be glimpsed on the wall in the teaser trailer.
- If one looks closer at the Secret Wars (2015) comic next to Deadpool in the teaser's last scene, there's a familiar bottle of Pingo Doce soda lying on top of the comic.
- The main trailer briefly showcases one of the early model cars Tony Stark was working on in the first Iron Man trailer.
- Dark and Troubled Past: In the trailer, Paradox describes this film's Wolverine variant as someone who "let down his entire world", and the second trailer shows Logan falling to his knees in front of a row of mausoleums. Deadpool, being Deadpool, tries to get Logan to open up in the only way he knows how:Deadpool: Wanna talk about what's haunting you, or should we wait for a third act flashback?
Logan: Uh, go fuck yourself. - Dodgy Toupee: The first teaser opens with Wade wearing a bad wig. It gets torn off in a scuffle with the TVA Agents and he spends a few scenes with a few scraggly tufts left on his scalp.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Invoked when Logan's claws come out in a slower fashion than usual:Deadpool: Oh. Whiskey dick of the claws. It's quite common in Wolverines over forty.
- Due to the Dead: When the TVA shows Wade footage of the Avengers in the trailer, Wade is seen saluting the image of Captain America.
- Giant Corpse World: The main trailer depicts a base inside the skull of a giant Ant-Man variant, still wearing his helmet.
- Groin Attack: During Deadpool and Wolverine's fight in the main trailer, Wolverine stabs his claws right into Wade's crotch.
- Hotter and Sexier: Invoked by Wade in the first teaser. When TVA agents pull out their pruning sticks, Wade says that he's no stranger to pegging, though it's uncharted territory for Disney.
- Internal Homage: The first full trailer opens with a recreation of Wolverine's introduction in the original X-Men film, only for Deadpool to lean in and interrupt.
- Kidnapped by the Call: Wade was celebrating his birthday when it was interrupted by a squad of TVA Minutemen appearing on his door. One of them immediately grabbed ahold of him and dragged him through a timedoor.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: As seen in the trailer. Who else but Deadpool, who is no stranger to fourth wall antics, would be fighting in the ruins of Twentieth Century Fox to become part of Marvel Studios?
- Let's You and Him Fight: In the end of the teaser and full trailer, Wade and Logan get into a massive, violent fight with each other, despite ostensibly being on the same side, spurred on when Deadpool rips into Wolverine for not giving a damn about saving worlds after failing to save his own.
- Lighter and Softer: Defied with vehemence, to the point that the trailers have made a Running Gag out of pointing out the lack of this trope.
- In the teaser, Wade admits that "pegging isn't new for [him], but it is for Disney." Sure enough, the same teaser has Deadpool getting groped amidst a Lock-and-Load Montage and an uncensored F-bomb.
- The first trailer has Wade confirm that the only thing off-limits (according to Feige) is cocaine - meaning that all the Gorn, Fanservice (and Disservice), Cluster F-Bombing, Body Horror, and sex jokes from the previous Deadpool movies are still on the table.note
- Lock-and-Load Montage: In the teaser, after declaring himself to be "Marvel Jesus", Wade is shown suiting up for action with help from white-gloved assistants. Parodied in that in addition to the regular gearing up and weapon holstering and all that, it also involves fly-zipping, ass-slapping, and crotch-grabbing.
- Logo Joke:
- The Marvel Studios logo in the teaser trailer is red against a black background, matching Deadpool's color scheme.
- In the full trailer, the logo is rendered in red and yellow, thus including Wolverine's color scheme.
- In-Universe, a giant Twentieth Century Fox logo is seen in ruins, referencing the fact the studio is no more.
- The Marvel Studios logo in the teaser trailer is red against a black background, matching Deadpool's color scheme.
- My Greatest Failure: In the main trailer, it’s confirmed that the Wolverine variant Wade teams up with had already failed to save his own universe, and the failure weighs hard on him.
- Mythology Gag:
- When Deadpool goes to confront Logan in the teaser, the scruffy X-Man is seen wearing a nice white suit, similar to what he wears sometimes when he takes up the identity of Patch.
- The comic lying next to Deadpool near the end of the teaser is Issue 5 of Secret Wars (2015). Doubles as Production Foreshadowing for the next Avengers movie.
- When Wade sees archive footage of Captain America, he does a respectful salute towards him. Wade is known for being a Hero-Worshipper of Steve Rogers in the comics.
- Pyro is seen in a red and yellow outfit, a comic-accurate costume, albeit modeled after the Ultimate Universe version of his suit.
- The teaser shows Wade executing an Unorthodox Reload, which is something Agent Zero was known for.
- The main trailer shows Wade and Logan walking past a foot-massage parlor called "Liefeld's Just Feet".
- In the main trailer, Wolverine eventually loses the sleeves of his yellow and blue outfit, making it look more like his classic costume.
- In the main trailer, part of the fight between Deadpool and Wolverine includes Deadpool dodging several swipes, echoing the choreography of the Peter Parker and Flash Thompson fight in Spider-Man that Deadpool & Wolverine's producer Kevin Feige was also a producer on.
- Potty Failure: When Wade comes to in the TVA in the teaser, Paradox notes that Wade soiled himself while unconscious. Wade protests that he wasn't unconscious.
- Power Incontinence: In the main trailer, Wolverine has trouble popping his claws after getting dead drunk.Wade: "Whisky dick" of the claws. It's quite common in Wolverines over forty.
- Precision F-Strike: In the teaser trailer, Deadpool lets out a horrified, "OH MY FUCK!" when he sees a TVA Hunter be swallowed up by Alioth.
- Refusal of the Call: The Wolverine variant in the movie is very reluctant about joining Deadpool in saving the world after failing to save his own.
- Repurposed Pop Song: The main trailer is set to "Like a Prayer" by Madonna
- Ruder and Cruder: Given that this is the Deadpool movies' modus operandi, it serves as this overall to the mostly family-friendly MCU (not counting the Netflix / Defenders shows and the more recent Echo), what with it being the first R-rated film in the franchise. Case in point, the teaser shows Wade greeting the TVA agents with a joke about pegging and the full trailer has him and Logan drop multiple F-bombs.
- Shout-Out: The main trailer showcases somebody commanding a vehicle being pulled by multiple motorcycles, much like Dementus's chariot in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
- Stopped Numbering Sequels: Unlike the previous Deadpool 2, the trailer reveals the title as Deadpool & Wolverine to emphasize Logan’s presence in the story.
- Tears of Joy: In the teaser, you can see Wade's eyes moistening as he realizes he's finally joining the MCU.
- Tempting Fate: In the teaser trailer Wade says he's the luckiest guy alive at his birthday party... and then the TVA knocks at his door.
- Troubled Backstory Flashback: Discussed in the trailer. At the diner, Wade asks Logan if he wants to talk about what's haunting him or if he wants a third-act flashback instead.
- Truer to the Text: The teaser shows that Hugh Jackman is finally wearing Wolverine's iconic yellow and blue from the comics for the first time since he started playing the role (based on his more recent Astonishing X-Men look designed by John Cassaday, not "the" iconic first yellow suit from Uncanny X-Men etc). Pyro is also seen wearing a similarly comic-accurate suit.
- Uncanny Valley: Played for Laughs as Wade in a bad toupee and hideous polo shirt is supposed to look wrong, emphasizing how the mundane life of a retired older man isn't where he's supposed to be.
- Uncertain Doom: Downplayed but still implied with Alioth's appearance in the teaser trailer. The last time we saw the creature at the end of Loki, it was about to attack Ravonna Renslayer. From the trailer so far, it's unclear whether or not the character survived, especially as there's been no word if Gugu Mbatha Raw will reprise the role and if it's being kept under wraps.
- Verbal Backspace: At the end of the teaser, a pained Deadpool tells Logan to give him a hand up. When Logan unsheaths his claws, he quickly utters, "Nope! I'm actually okay, thank you very MU—!" before Logan seemingly stabs him in the crotch.
- Wolverine Publicity: Played with, given the Trope Namer is in the freaking title. The first trailer is all about Deadpool getting a retired, incredibly jaded Wolverine to help him. His justification for getting Wolverine rather than any other more powerful or useful or less jaded hero being "You were the X-Man."
"Let's fucking go."
