For Carl Gustav Jung, the existence of any person is divided into two major moments: before and after the age of 40. In the first half of our life we tend to focus on the outside world (the construction of our Ego, the roles we assume in social interactions, the creation of personal bonds, professional development, etc.). In the following part of our life journey, our attention is withdrawn to direct itself to the inner world, posing a reflective attitude that invites us to evaluate our actions taking into consideration what we could not do and what we will never be able to accomplish. Faced with our own mortality, introspection leads us to redefine all our experiences, make radical changes and seek transcendence in one way or another. Dilemmas that usually afflict us mortals, but that we rarely get to see exposed in superhero movies (who, by their very nature, seem immortal and with luck always on their side). It is precisely this ontological concern that drives the conflicts of Deadpool & Wolverinethe new movie of Marvel Studios and which marks a milestone in the inclusion of the heroes of 20th Century Fox to the world of Disney.
The story begins about six years after Deadpool 2with Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) going through a midlife crisis. Concerned about putting his special abilities to good use, he begins to explore new job options but, as expected, none of them materialize. Things change completely when, during his birthday party, Wade is kidnapped by the TVA and invited to work under Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) who offers him the chance to really be a superhero. A tempting offer, but one that demands an enormous sacrifice from our protagonist who, with the self-confidence that characterizes him, decides to always do things his way. This ends up unleashing chaos in the Sacred Timeline and an unexpected partnership between him and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who, reluctantly, will have to join forces to face multiple dangers in search of redemption.
Written by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese (Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Zombieland) y Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Zombieland), Deadpool & Wolverine It has all the structural elements of its predecessors: it begins with an extremely violent action sequence that immerses us headlong into the story, then we have a flashback which allows us to understand what happened before reaching the heart of the conflict and, from there, the script takes another direction that gives way to the true development of the film. In the process, we have a Deadpool who does not stop releasing dialogues like a machine gun full of double meanings, black humor and that constantly break the fourth wall. With the same speed of his incendiary speech we have physical comedy, hand-to-hand fights and shootings that border on gore to the rhythm of music hits pop and dozens of references to other characters from the world of comics. Here, as with Cable in Deadpool 2We also have the odd-couple dynamic where a serious character is forced to confront Deadpool and his madness and ends up making an alliance with him.
Despite the script’s reminiscences (and leaving aside the inside jokes, impossible cameos and unrelenting criticism of Disney y Marvel Studios), Deadpool & Wolverine The film marks a turning point with its counterparts thanks to its powerful subtext. In the film we get to delve deeper into Wade’s psyche and see him genuinely mature without losing his spontaneity. Similarly, we meet a Logan tormented by not living up to what was expected of him in contrast to the classic Wolverine who, albeit reluctantly, always did the right thing. Removing the masks and putting the focus on their personal lives, each has more in common than it seems: they are going through a midlife crisis, have made bad decisions and want to redeem themselves in one way or another for the good of their loved ones. This gives both characters an extra layer of complexity and makes them work as mirrors of each other in their process of transformation (exploiting the conflicts that arise from the contrast between Wade’s euphoria and Logan’s melancholy).
Directed by Shawn Levy (Free Guy, The Adam Project), Deadpool & Wolverine It is like the quintessence of its predecessors, but with the force of cinematographic event that usually characterizes the great productions of Marvel Studios. Following in the footsteps of Tim Miller (Deadpool) and David Leitch (Deadpool 2), the director honors all the visual codes that shape the character’s imprint (such as the play with camera speeds in each fight, the elements of slapstick comedythe sexual references, the moments in the best music video style with intricate choreography) and, at the same time, manages to raise the bar, by adding new elements and putting its personal stamp on things without things getting out of hand (such as opting for a staging with the least amount of CGI possible, paying homage to other films mainstream ms all de Marvelmaintain balance with the fan service and include a pinch of drama without this being detrimental to the rhythm and the mood The end result is a cinematic experience so epic, fun and with substance that it has nothing to envy Avengers o Spider-Man: No Way Home (something that is increasingly difficult in the Marvel Cinematic Universe).
Under the guidance of Shawn Levi, the cinematography of George Richmond (Free Guy, Argylle, Rocketman, Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore, Kingsman: The Golden Circle) works by emulating atmospheres that we can recognize from other Marvel locations (such as Tony Stark’s offices, the TVA base, and The Void from Lokithe streets of New York, the open countryside and post-apocalyptic future of Logan) and shines with the action sequences where the effects on set and the CGI coexist in a very organic way without affecting the aesthetics of each frame (remember that one of Marvel’s weak points is usually its cinematography that reveals the use and abuse of filming against the green screen). The production design of Ray Chan (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) takes dozens of various references (such as Mad Max: Fury Road, Loki, X-Men) to create spaces filled with easter eggs that will make fans of Marvel want to revisit Deadpool & Wolverine over and over again to catch all the references to comics, series and movies (soon frame-by-frame analyses of each scene will start to rain down on the internet, feeding the craziest conspiracy theories about the future of Marvel Studios). The Shane Reid montage (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire y who has worked editing music videos for Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney) and Dean Zimmerman (The Adam Project, Free Guy, The Internship), maintains a fast pace throughout the nearly 2 hours of the film, without sacrificing the tempo that has every musical scene, hand-to-hand fights or dialogues that come and go (in fact, it is one of the few films of Marvel Studios where nothing is left over, everything flies by and you are left wanting to see more).
Ryan Reynolds, as always, shines in his role as Deadpool (to the point of blurring the line of characterization). Beyond his incredible timing In this film, we can see a bit more of the vulnerability that Wade Wilson rarely shows us, without turning the story into a drama or going against the essence of his character. At his side, Hugh Jackman shines, playing a depressed, nihilistic, alcoholic Wolverine with a lot of repressed violence. Although his style is very similar to what we have already seen, this version of his character is in a darker octave, adding the complexity of having to deal with a partner who is the opposite of him. Together they create an odd couple that spends their time fighting throughout the film without losing their tone in the process (Reynolds in the absurd comedy and Jackman with a lot of rage and seriousness). Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova is one of the great surprises of the film. castgoing to the other antipode of Diana in The Crowngives us a dark and extremely powerful version of Charles Xavier with the ominous personality of Hans Landa and the eccentricity of Willy Wonka. Matthew Macfadyen with his passive-aggressive attitude of an ambitious upstart in power reminds us of his previous role in Succession, but with a cartoonish touch that makes it go from detestable to funny in each interaction. The cameos that, for obvious reasons, will not be talked about are in just the right measure, genuinely surprising for how unexpected they were and, unlike other movies Marvelare integrated organically into the story (justifying their appearance beyond the fan service).
A single film cannot carry on its shoulders the weight of reviving a cinematic universe of hundreds of hours, much less correct the mistakes of other titles that have little or nothing to do with it. Despite this, Deadpool & Wolverine It functions as an allegory of the last tumultuous years of Marvel Studios by teaching us that it’s never too late to right our wrongs and start from scratch. Although it is sold to us as a hinge for Deadpool and other characters who belonged to 20th Century Fox to become part of Disney, the film ends up being a self-conscious tribute to the world of superheroes and the wonders they can do to win our hearts. Taking the meta-cinematic discourse to unsuspected levels and putting the focus on the search for redemption, the script takes the concept of the multiverse to the limit to give a second chance to those who never had it like the outcasts and discarded, showing that heroism is only a matter of choice and reminding us that sometimes by helping others find themselves we can find ourselves.
The best: his politically incorrect humor that puts his finger on the sore spot of all the nonsense of Disney y Marvel StudiosThe chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. The cameos and their functionality within the story. The action sequences.
The bad: As is customary with all productions of Marvel Studiosyou need to have a few hours of background to understand all the references. Cassandra Nova’s character is fascinating and has very little screen time.
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Marvel Studios
About the Author:
Luis Bond is a director, screenwriter, editor and teacher. Since 2010 he has been a film critic for the web, radio and print publications. He is a Tomatometer-approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes ( ). His training in film has been complemented with studies in Deep Analytical Psychology and Symbology. He is co-host of the Axis Mundi podcast where he delves into film analysis, literature, psychology and symbolic language.
Twitter (X), Instagram, Threads, TikTok: @luisbond009
Web: www.luisbond.com
