As the summer came to an end, a movie was released that saved the Marvel franchise. People flocked to the theaters to watch Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprise their roles as Deadpool and Wolverine. The movie instantly became a hit thanks to all the cameos and references. Stars like Chris Evans, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, and Channing Tatum stole the show with their performances and one-liners. The phenomenal soundtrack set the tone of the movie and captivated the audience into coming back for more, including songs like “Bye, Bye, Bye,” “Iris,” “You’re the One That I Want,” Madonna’s “Like A Prayer,” and songs from the hit movie The Greatest Showman. The movie references things like Marvel’s own show, Loki, mentioning the different Chris’ in the Marvel universe, and an exceptionally hilarious post-credit scene.
The movie follows the main character, Deadpool, when his timeline starts to disappear. He goes back in time to recruit Wolverine to his cause and together they work to save the universe. The movie cost around 200 million dollars to produce and has been in the works since May of 2023. It was released on Friday, July 26, 2024. The cost of the movie seemed to put a dent in Marvel’s pocket, but the revenue of the movie made up for it. The total earnings of the movie were 1.029 billion dollars.
It scored a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95% for overall viewers. Dan Buffa, a critic for Rotten Tomatoes said, “Here’s the thing. This is exactly what Marvel needed. After so many failed or flat-out uninteresting restarts, they asked the merc with a mouth and his angry friend to chime in and give the universe a much-needed makeover.” Thelma Adams, another Rotten Tomatoes critic wrote, “Rowdy, raunchy and gooey gory, Deadpool & Wolverine delivers the action-comedy thrills that will attract Marvel acolytes and civilians seeking belly laughs.” Compared to more recent Marvel movies such as “Madame Web,” this movie has been an outstanding success for the franchise.
Now, to focus on the real stars of the film, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. Their chemistry on screen is unmatched, but they are also friends in real life. In an interview with The View, Reynolds said, “I walked into my apartment and my kids were dancing and singing to The Greatest Showman and Hugh was there, and Hugh was doing it as well while they were watching the movie. He was acting it all out in front of them.” To go even further into their friendship, Hugh Jackman said in an interview with Marvel, “We’ve been friends for 15 years, but our friendship just gets better and better, deeper and deeper.”
This movie was a definite home run for the Marvel universe. It was a great laugh and had audiences rolling in their seats. Overall, Deadpool and Wolverine captivated audiences worldwide, provided the perfect comeback for Marvel, and showed the true value of friendship.