5 Reasons Why Deadpool and Wolverine Will Be A Hit?

Deadpool and Wolverine requires no previous MCU knowledge

One big hurdle that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been struggling with is the connectivity of all their projects. Films like 2023’s “The Marvels” require casual fans to familiarize themselves with many different projects, including Disney+ series like “WandaVision” and “Ms. Marvel,” as well as previous films like “Captain Marvel” and “Avengers: Endgame.” Even hardcore fans of the franchise have found it exhausting to keep up with Marvel’s constant output.

Thankfully, “Deadpool and Wolverine” director Shawn Levy has explained to AP News that the film is designed to be a light-hearted summer adventure at the movie theater, while also satisfying longtime Marvel fanatics.

“I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world,” he said. “But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.”

Even the trailers indicate that “Deadpool and Wolverine” will offer a healthy middle ground for both hardcore MCU viewers and less informed audiences. Hugh Jackman’s iteration of Wolverine appears to be a variant from a previously unseen timeline, and the Time Variance Authority that occurs seems to include none of the characters established in “Loki.”

Wolverine returns in his first MCU appearance

Even before Hugh Jackman hung up his claws in “Logan,” he and Ryan Reynolds had floated the idea of bringing their characters together on screen again, having last traded blows in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” The “Deadpool” films have also mocked Jackman’s character repeatedly, so a rematch simply seemed inevitable at some point.

Jackman in particular had been dreaming of a Deadpool-Wolverine crossover since he saw the original “Deadpool” in 2016, telling Variety, “All I kept seeing in my head was ’48 Hrs.’ with Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy. So it’s been brewing for a long time. It just took me longer to get here.” It also took Reynolds officially making the offer for Jackman to go back on his word that “Logan” would be his last time playing the character.

Thankfully, “Deadpool and Wolverine” is respectful of Jackman’s history with the character, while also bringing something new to the table. As seen in the trailers and photos, this will be Jackman’s first time donning Wolverine’s iconic yellow-and-blue suit after two decades of playing the role.

Whether he continues to don the claws in the MCU beyond this film is a matter of speculation, with Daniel Radcliffe and Taron Egerton floated in the past as potential new Logans.

The TVA makes its big screen debut

The Time Variance Authority, or TVA, was introduced in Marvel comics in 1986 as a Kafkaesque organization maintaining the sanctity of timelines. In 2021, the TVA made its on-screen debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series “Loki,” but the outfit has yet to appear in any of the Marvel films in recent years — until “Deadpool and Wolverine,” that is.

While there’s no sign of Mobius, Hunter B-15, or Ouroboros from “Loki,” a new face features prominently in the trailers: Paradox, played by Matthew Macfadyen from “Succession.” In the film, it seems that Deadpool is being recruited by the TVA for a mission that will ultimately reward him with a place in the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There is also much more hidden in the “Deadpool and Wolverine” trailer, such as the appearance of the Void, which is established in “Loki” as the place where pruned individuals and objects are sent for disobeying the Sacred Timeline. Deadpool even seems to come into conflict with Alioth, the monstrous guardian of the Void previously controlled by He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), though it’s highly unlikely that the Kang variant will also appear.

The Reynolds-Jackman feud goes to the next level

Since they first appeared on-screen together in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have had a friendly rivalry both in their personal lives and in the press. Particularly in the years of press for “Deadpool” and its sequels, Reynolds has taken any opportunity to rib Jackman regarding Wolverine, which has included following the Australian actor to his press tours for other movies, mocking the actor in-character in the “Deadpool” films, and both men playfully roasting each other via social media.

For example, in 2018, Reynolds and Jackman made fake political attack ads aimed at each other, subtly promoting “Once Upon a Deadpool,” a PG-13 recut of “Deadpool 2” released in theaters for the holidays, and Jackman’s “The Frontrunner.” They’ve also amped up their faux-conflict in promotional stints for their companies as well as birthday messages to each other on social media.

With “Deadpool and Wolverine” on the horizon, this good-natured public war will likely ramp up in anticipation of the film’s release. Given how ruthless Deadpool has been in making fun of Wolverine (and Jackman) in the films, it’ll only get funnier to see him do it to the man’s face on the big screen.

One previous Marvel star’s return has already been confirmed

One A-list star from Marvel’s movie past has already been confirmed to be appearing in “Deadpool and Wolverine” in at least some capacity: Jennifer Garner. The actress notably appeared as sai-wielding assassin Elektra Natchios in the 2003 “Daredevil” movie starring her future ex-husband, Ben Affleck. She later starred in her spin-off, 2005’s “Elektra,” which despite ending with the door open for the character to return, reportedly damaged Garner’s career and stalled progress on female-led movies for an entire decade.

That’s why fans were surprised when it was confirmed that Garner would reprise her role in “Deadpool and Wolverine,” though perhaps she saw it as an opportunity to do justice to the character.

As she told The Hollywood Reporter, she felt the film suffered from not being supervised by Kevin Feige: “It’s such a shame, honestly, because once Kevin took over everything there was elevated: the writing, the direction, the comedy inside of the stories they were telling … And I did not have that experience.”

Audiences will still likely enjoy seeing Garner play along with jokes about “Elektra” being bad in “Deadpool and Wolverine,” though it could also be fun to see Garner share the screen with Élodie Yung’s take on the character from the Netflix “Daredevil” series.