Not all parties are meant for everyone, and that’s okay. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures deeper into comic book lore, many casual fans have found themselves on the outskirts of what was once Hollywood’s most appealing party. While some may view this as a knock against the Disney-owned superhero movie-making machine, I say it as a compliment. Marvel’s latest big-budget extravaganza, Deadpool & Wolverine, has been the movie on every comic book fan’s mind since 2022 when Ryan Reynolds officially announced Hugh Jackman would return after hanging up his claws post-Logan (2017). Now hitting the big screen, Deadpool & Wolverine is not so much a cohesive movie but a series of hilarious skits and action sequences celebrating Deadpool, Wolverine, and 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movies.

In the MCU’s current state of sprawling narratives, an abundance of characters, and a weak overarching multiverse plot, many hoped that Deadpool & Wolverine would be the film to put the studio back on track. Reynolds often points this out in classic Deadpool fashion. Unfortunately, being self-aware of the problem is a double-edged sword when his movie contributes to it. Deadpool & Wolverine doesn’t make any effort to establish a path forward for the MCU and instead introduces more half-baked multiverse ideas through lofty exposition provided by Matthew Macfayden’s TVA Executive, Mr. Paradox. For those who didn’t watch the Loki series on Disney+, the Time Variance Authority is an organization that operates outside of time and space to protect the multiverse. The TVA as a concept is interesting; using them to integrate Deadpool into the MCU makes complete sense, but it’s never fully realized due to incoherent storytelling. 

Instead, Mr. Paradox (not at any fault of Macfayden, who makes the most with what he’s given) comes across as another hollow Marvel villain with uninspired motives only present to advance the somewhat non-existent plot. Luckily, Paradox and his maniacal plan quickly fall into the background as the two titular characters find themselves in The Void (again from Loki), making room for the entertaining action, hysterical banter, and touching moments Deadpool is known for. One of Deadpool’s signature comic attributes is his ability to make in-universe references directly to the audience, often making fun of his world and ours. The previous two Deadpool movies certainly capitalized on this trait. However, they could only go so far due to legality issues since Fox owned the X-Men. Now that the two companies have merged, Deadpool, AKA Wade Wilson, gets a much larger playground to mess up. Deadpool & Wolverine is all the better for it unless you aren’t an avid fan of the comic book genre or prefer Deadpool as a smaller-scale character. 

As expected, Deadpool & Wolverine features many cameos and surprises that audiences who’ve watched this genre since the beginning will be shocked to witness. Unexpectedly, the surprises are purposeful and serve the story Reynolds is attempting to tell, unlike the ones featured in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022), which came across as cheap. Conversely, audiences who just enjoy the Deadpool movies or occasionally watch a Marvel flick may feel lost in all the references as they cut extremely deep. Hopefully, it sends those who felt left out on an X-Men/Marvel movie catch-up mission so they can enjoy the next one with the rest of us. 

When it comes to stakes, you may wonder what or why they are. This is where the movie struggles significantly. From beginning to end, Wade constantly reminds Wolverine and the audience what he’s trying to protect by declaring it or holding up a picture of his friends. Partly because of how the script, or lack thereof, handles the villains, combined with Deadpool & Wolverine ignoring the crucial show-don’t-tell rule, the film’s stakes never feel as critical as Reynolds wants you to believe they are. As a result, the character’s actions come across as motivationless, contributing to the lack of structure since nothing is propelling him forward. 

Complaints aside, there are numerous things to enjoy with Deadpool & Wolverine if one can view it as a standalone buddy-comedy movie rather than the next chapter of the MCU. Specifically, Hugh Jackman’s comeback as Wolverine is exceptionally well done and is surprisingly Jackman’s second-best outing as the character after his award-worthy performance in Logan. Fans of that film can watch joyfully, knowing Reynolds kept his word and left that ending alone while still incorporating its events into this one, albeit confusingly. That means the Wolverine in this film, who finally dons the character’s classic yellow suit, is not the one we’ve followed for almost 25 years, but a variant from an alternate universe. This choice shouldn’t work as well as it does since we, as an audience, have no connection to this version of the character. Jackman easily overcomes this by infusing every ounce of the immense pain and guilt this version of Logan carries into his performance. His tragic past also makes him the perfect recruit for Wade’s Wolverine-oriented quest, which Reynolds set to a soundtrack of throwback pop-hits, including the best use of Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You” ever put to screen. 

Readjusting expectations is the key to having fun with Deadpool & Wolverine. This movie is far from perfect, but it’s the injection of energy the MCU desperately needed to win back over its core fanbase. After all, when it comes to a Marvel party, we are the most important guests.