To paraphrase the Merc with the Mouth, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is at a bit of a low point. Following a string of production-related headaches and dwindling box office returns, to say that the once bulletproof production banner is desperately in need of a win would be a severe understatement. With Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel Studios has shattered multiple records for an R-rated movie on a global scale, opening to a worldwide start of $441.1 million.
With such an enormous success, the 30-billion-dollar question is whether Deadpool & Wolverine would serve as the be-all and end-all to Marvel Studios’ problems, or merely a temporary relief to a much bigger issue.
The first two Deadpool movies had an underdog quality to them, as 20th Century Fox didn’t even want to make the first instalment. Executives at the time told director Tim Miller they simply didn’t get it and didn’t care for the script about this unusual, profane antihero. Following the leak of a test footage that sparked the collective rage of the internet in 2011, the distributor eventually caved in to the demands of the fans by taking a chance on Deadpool, green-lighting the film two months later.
Released to immense critical and commercial success, Deadpool broke multiple box office records and paved the way for R-rated superhero movies. Two years later, Deadpool 2 took big swings narratively through its unexpected, yet serious exploration of the devastating consequences of child abuse, complicated grief, as well as suicidal ideation in bereavement. The Deadpool series stood out amidst the wave of comic book adaptations due to its commitment to subvert expectations that are often associated with the genre, while maintaining a level of raw creativity that’s consistent throughout the movies.
While the preceding Deadpool films were creative undertakings that defied all odds, the latest entry seems to exist solely to serve as a cog in the machine that is the MCU. The film tries to brute force its way through its incoherent plot, lets recap — circumstances prompt Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) to find a living Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in another universe so that he can save his own universe before it’s destroyed by a mysterious organisation called the Time Variance Authority (TVA), led by a one-dimensional antagonist with paper-thin motivation. Also, Charles Xavier’s sister is really mean about the good guys overstaying their welcome. Really?
To counter its weak narrative, the latest Deadpool movie has an arsenal of exciting references, metatextual gags, and surprising cameos at its disposal. Who cares if the plot doesn’t make a whole lot of sense? It works as a fan-service vehicle that is (supposedly) immune to criticism for “serving the fans”. Strongly relying on the weak storytelling mechanism of the multiverse, Deadpool & Wolverine finds itself lacking in emotional resonance, failing to build upon the solid foundation laid by its predecessors. By comparison, the creative choices of Deadpool & Wolverine come across as anticlimactic, stale, and safe.
Much of Deadpool & Wolverine demands its audience to be familiar with the entire Marvel screen canon over the past two decades. This genre of metatextual comedy was not in short supply in the previous entries, but the latest entry dials them up to eleven. With how the preceding two films took big swings like they have nothing to lose, the latest one is uncharacteristically risk adverse.
When news first broke that Disney would be spending $71.3 billion to acquire the film and TV assets held by 21st Century Fox – the company responsible from everything including the Alien franchise to The Simpsons – it ushered in a terrifying era in media consolidation. It marked the first time a major movie studio has simply ceased to exist as an independent entity since the acquisition of MGM in the 1980s, reducing the number of major movie studios in Hollywood from six down to five.
Much of the fans’ (including myself) attention around this merger has centered on how Disney-owned Marvel Studios will have access to the X-Men and Fantastic Four, whose rights were sold to 20th Century Fox in the 90s, when Marvel was going through financial problems. I remember being excited at the idea that I will be seeing new iterations of the aforementioned characters interacting with the established icons of the MCU, the endless potential surrounding the introduction and utilisation of the mutants as well as Marvel’s First Family. It has been five years since the merger, and we’ve yet to see something wholly original and exciting from Marvel Studios’ take on these characters.
The merger between Disney and Fox places Deadpool & Wolverine in an interesting situation. It tries its best to poke fun at its corporate parentage but ultimately succumbs and adheres to the limiting confines of an established universe. The once groundbreaking R-rated film series now has to adhere to the narrative parameters of the MCU. Instead of the breath of fresh air that the original movie was in 2016, corporate mandates it to be a brand extension disguised as a satire of brand extension.
Interestingly, Deadpool & Wolverine provides a compelling meta-commentary on the endless cycle of reboots, sequels, and franchise filmmaking that has been powering Hollywood for the better part of the past two decades. The various appearances from the “Marvel at Fox” era serve as a poignant reminder of how stories can cease to exist when general interests among viewers have subsided. Unfortunately, insightful commentary isn’t enough to overcome the struggles of delivering a compelling story, unable to repair a torn seam caused by overstuffing.
Following the recent announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will be making his return to the MCU as Dr. Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, I can’t help but let out a chuckle. Not at the last-ditch effort to pivot after the failure of the franchise’s multiversal ambitions, nor at the franchise’s inability at the present moment to branch out and experiment with new and exciting directions, but at the naïveté and ideals of my younger self. The belief that corporate consolidation would not bleed into the creative undertakings that made these projects exciting in the first place. For a film series that once redefined the blockbuster filmmaking landscape, the multiverse as depicted in the MCU feels shockingly small.
