Deadpool and Wolverine (2024) Official Disney and Marvel Studios Trailer
Third Time’s The Charm
The X-Men films have had a long and complicated history with their fan base ever since Bryan Singer’s X-Men was released in 2000 with 20th Century Fox. After battles between studios and a powerful devotion from Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), X-Men fans have finally been given a film that they can all agree feels true to the original material.
Released on July 26, 2024, Deadpool & Wolverine (the third film of the Deadpool franchise) tells a unique story between two of the comics’ most intriguing characters. Directed by Shawn Levy and written and produced by Ryan Reynolds, the film follows Deadpool as he attempts to save his timeline by kidnapping another universe’s Wolverine and combating villains who intend to use the TVA (Time Variance Authority) for their purposes.
Be aware, spoilers ahead!
10. Spider-Man Thwaps
Unfortunately, due to rights issues with Sony, Marvel fans may never see Reynold’s Deadpool with any of the Spider-men that have come and gone in the franchises. According to a Comic Book Resources article in 2021, after a quick meeting in the 1997 comic Deadpool #11, fans became obsessed with the idea of the exasperated nerd Spider-Man dealing with Deadpool’s sarcasm and excessive antics. Since then, Marvel Comics has put the duo together for particular issues. In 2016, they even had a 50-issue series titled Spider-Man/Deadpool that featured the two fighting various foes.
Though Disney and Marvel couldn’t quite get away with bringing a Spider-Man onboard, they were able to sneak in a little nod to the superhero. Around halfway through the film, when Wolverine is helping Deadpool to find a way out of The Void, Deadpool starts making the iconic hand movements and sound effects that cause Spider-Man’s webbing to eject from his wrist.
9. NSYNC
Each Deadpool film released has started with a hilarious and music-filled fight montage. The first film began with Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop,” the second film began with both Celine Dion’s and Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”, and now the third film brought audiences an epic fight and dance scene to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye.” With the talented Nick Pauley as his dance double, Deadpool gives a perfect rendition of the classic choreography of the original NSYNC music video, along with some extra hardcore moves.
The scene is an excellent reference to the ‘90s when Deadpool first arrived in the comics, but it is also a nod to another X-Men film. In Bryan Singer’s X2 from 2003, there is a scene where Wolverine has to use Cyclops’ car to take the X-Men away from the X-Mansion after an attack. While driving, the NSYNC song starts blaring in the vehicle, immediately frustrating Wolverine, and he turns it off. If only he knew Deadpool would dance to the song and fight foes with his adamantium skeleton.
8. Liefeld’s Just Feet
This easter egg was released before the film had reached theaters. Right before the scene where Wolverine and Deadpool fight off the hoard of Deadpool variants, the two protagonists are thrown into a department store window. The trailer and the film show the two characters walking by the wreckage in a slow motion amp up for the fight ahead. Though many audience members might not think too much of it, the sign on the building that the two crash into advertises “Liefeld’s Just Feet.”
As many comic-loving fans know, Liefeld refers to the prominent Marvel writer and artist Rob Liefeld, who co-created Cable and Deadpool characters. His iconic contribution to The New Mutants and X-Force comics deserved this easter egg. However, it goes a step further. Liefeld has been known over the past few decades for his controversial and gaudy art style. The sign in Deadpool & Wolverine refers explicitly to his determination never to draw feet.
7. Sentinel Foot
Speaking of feet, a very iconic leg is featured in the new Deadpool film. Amid a deadly squabble between the film’s protagonists and the villain Cassandra Nova, the Alioth from the Loki TV series arrives in the Void to consume some of the more unfortunate extras. To escape, Wolverine and Deadpool jump onto the foot of a sentinel to blast themselves away from the crime scene at the last minute.
First appearing in X-Men #14 from 1965, the sentinels were giant robots created by Bolivar Trask to exterminate all people who carried the X-gene. A horrific creation that can be found often in most X-Men-related media (including the live-action X-Men: Days of Future Past), it was neat to see the remnants of one again on the big screen. Though many iterations have existed over the years, the robots were heavily used in X-Men: The Animated Series and the new X-Men ‘97.
6. Avenger Artifacts
Deadpool struggles to find his place on a team in both the comics and the films. He’s already tried to find a spot within the X-Men and created his temporary team, X-Force, and now he’s seen in his newest film trying to become an Avenger. In a scene at the film’s beginning, Deadpool is out of costume in Happy Hogan’s office at the Avengers headquarters to discuss getting a position on the team. Other than the fantastic cameo with Jon Favreau as Happy, many artifacts from the team can be seen around his office.
One of the most poignant and heart-wrenching objects is Tony Stark’s arc reactor on Happy’s desk. After he died in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel seems to enjoy reminding their fans that the face of the MCU is gone for good. Marvel also likes to remind fans of another character now missing from the franchise with Captain America’s half-finished shield from Iron Man (2008) propped up at Happy’s window.
5. Blake Lively and The Deadpools
Wolverine can’t be the only one with variants in this multiverse film. After many Deadpool variants succumbed to the Void, they all teamed up in a pack led by Lady Deadpool. What occurs is an epic battle between Wolverine and the main Deadpool fighting a hoard of Deadpool variants, many originating from the comics. In the massacre, fans can spot comic character variants such as Cowboy Deadpool (Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #7 and portrayed by Matthew McConaughey), Headpool (Marvel Zombies #3 and voiced by Nathan Fillion), Dogpool/Mary Poppins (Deadpool Corps #3 and portrayed by Peggy), and a few other niche characterizations. Other variants include Baby Deadpool, samurai Deadpool, and Welsh Deadpool (portrayed by Paul Mullin).
Reynolds had two family members play variants, personalizing the characters even more. Inez Reynolds, Reynolds’ daughter, portrays Kidpool, who snaps back at Reynolds’ character before the fight. Blake Lively, Reynolds’ wife, portrays Ladypool, who embraces the fanservice.
4. The “Mad Max” Wasteland
Marvel loves surprises, but the Void was filled with the most unexpected. First appearing in the TV series Loki, the Void is a wasteland where the TVA dumps its trash. That includes anyone who crosses their path and causes trouble. Most of the film exists within the wasteland, which is heavily inspired by the post-apocalypse world of the Mad Max franchise, including the beat-up sci-fi vehicles. However, it’s what’s in the background of the world that proves most interesting to fans.
A few objects and architecture that can be found within the desert are Captain America’s WW2 shield, a stone carving of Wanda Maximoff, a piece of Asgard, a helicarrier, Red Skull’s car from Captain America: The First Avenger, and the Fantasticar from Fantastic Four. Possibly the funniest lost artifact in the Void is a giant 20th-century Fox logo half submerged and crumbling into the ground, symbolically ending the era of Fox films.
3. Cameos
The hilarious chemistry between Jackman and Reynolds was enough to make this film brilliant, but that didn’t stop the filmmakers from taking the Fox sendoff film a step further. Over the past few years, Marvel has been known to bring back former characters, but never have they committed to this extent. Aside from a heartfelt montage in the end credits of behind-the-scenes clips of Fox’s X-Men film franchise, many old characters from multiple studios resurfaced in the new Deadpool film.
The cameos include Pyro (X2), Toad (X-Men), the Blob (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), the Juggernaut (X-Men The Last Stand), Deathstrike (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Azazel (X-Men First Class), Blade (Blade), Sabretooth (X-Men), Hunter B-15 (Loki), Elektra (Elektra), X-23 (Logan), the Human Torch (2005’s Fantastic Four), the Russian (The Punisher), Callisto (X-Men The Last Stand) and Psylocke (X-Men Apocalypse). Needless to say, this film quickly became every Marvel nerd’s dream.
2. Channing Tatum as Gambit
Marvel fans finally got what they had been asking for. In 2014, after a long period of speculation, producer Lauren Shuler Donner and actor Channing Tatum came together to create a Gambit-focused film that would exist within the X-Men film franchise. Initially set for release in 2020, the project remained in production Hell and unfortunately never made it to fruition despite the pleas of many hopeful fans. To the surprise of many, Deadpool & Wolverine finally paved the way for Channing Tatum to portray the Cajun mutant, Gambit. Popping up halfway through the film to join the two protagonists in their journey to fix Deadpool’s timeline, audiences finally saw Tatum in the comic-accurate suit and slurred accent.
On July 30, 2024, Tatum shared his thoughts about the long-awaited character with Variety: “I thought I had lost Gambit forever… (Reynolds) fought for me and Gambit.” First appearing in the 1990 comic The Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 and starring in the hit ‘90s cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series, Gambit’s appearance is long overdue.
1. Alternate Wolverines
Fans have waited for a long time to see their favorite Wolverine story arcs. At this point, traversing every Wolverine narrative since his origin in The Incredible Hulk #180 would take years to produce. However, Deadpool & Wolverine pulled a fun little montage of some of the more unique variations of the character. In the film’s first act, Deadpool hears that his timeline is becoming extinct due to losing its “anchor” (being that timeline’s Wolverine), so he must find an alternate Wolverine in another’s universe to fix his own. The montage that follows leads the red-wearing mercenary to multiple Wolverines.
The Wolverine variants include Short King Wolverine (the comic-accurate height version), Patch (based on the 2022 graphic novel of the same name), Old Man Logan (originally appearing in the Fantastic Four series, then obtaining its series in 2008), Weapon Omega (1995’s Age of Apocalypse event), Crucified Wolverine (1989’s Uncanny X-Men #251), and Wolverine vs. Hulk (1988’s Incredible Hulk #340). Audiences also got to see Cavillrine, a version of Wolverine played by beloved Henry Cavill, who fans speculated would play the character in the future of the MCU.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now in theaters.
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With a bachelor's degree in Film and Media Studies from Arizona State University, Ashley has a passion for the history of filmmaking and how audiences share a relationship with publicized media. Her love for the horror genre as well as feminist themes runs deep.
I am an aspiring author living and working out of Honolulu, Hawaii. I received my bachelor's degree in Art History at Westmont College and then pursued a master's in Museum Studies at the University of Hawaii. I am currently working on a few novels, and am thankful for the opportunity to expand my creative writing voice at Dead Talk Live.