The first trailer, which aired during American football’s 2024 Super Bowl, was viewed a record 365 million times online in the first 24 hours. The second broke another record – for the most “F-bombs” in the MCU: six in less than three minutes.
When Disney acquired the studio’s film and TV assets in early 2019, Wolverine had already died in Logan, a third Deadpool was in development and Marvel was still firmly in the PG-13 business, a rating that allows for only one F-bomb.
On a call with investors as the deal was going through, Walt Disney chief executive Bob Iger was already reassuring people that a Disney Deadpool would remain R-rated. Soon afterwards, Reynolds also posted a photo on social media showing his character with Mickey Mouse ears on a yellow school bus labelled Disney.
The meta humour, it seemed, was also firmly intact.
But what would the story be? Levy was announced as the film’s director in early 2022, coming in as a fan of Reynolds’ snarky tone and fourth-wall breaking.
“There was no way I was going to reinvent a wheel, a tonal wheel, that works so beautifully,” Levy said. “Both Disney and Marvel, up and down the food chain, empowered Ryan and I to make this movie exactly as we dreamed.”
Things really started to really take shape when Jackman signed on that autumn, however. It would mark the first time that the characters would be together in a movie since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
In the years since, Reynolds and Jackman have staged a very tongue-in-cheek, very funny “feud” with one another on social media, dancing around the idea of sharing the big screen again.
The dream seemed to have died after Logan and Jackman’s retirement as Wolverine. But death is never exactly final in the multiverse, and, they promised, this film would not interfere with Logan.
“It’s a really interesting duo,” Levy said. “They’re built for huge conflict with each other because they’re so different individually. But that makes for a very interesting story, because the best two-hander stories, whether Midnight Run or 48 Hours or Planes, Trains and Automobiles, are littered with conflict. But it’s ultimately about something more as well and that’s what audiences will see.”
The dynamic was also fuelled by the real-life friendship between Levy, Jackman and Reynolds that goes back a decade off screen and includes films like Free Guy and Real Steel.
“The real benefit of being friends off set is that you can try crazy stuff without fear of falling. Because some of it won’t work and that will be momentarily embarrassing, but if you’re among friends, it’s OK to make a fool of yourself in the pursuit of something surprising and something unexpected,” Levy said.
“This movie is filled with moments, both comedic and character based, that we didn’t expect and were the result of a freedom that came from being friends.”
At the New York premiere on July 22, Jackman and Reynolds were definitely in friend mode, praising one another with no snark.
“(Ryan’s) exactly as you think,” Jackman said. “An extraordinary man. Generous, humble, brilliant and a great friend.”
I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base
Reynolds added that Jackman was “someone who operated in a completely different way, did everything through the prism of genuine kindness, diligence, hard work. And that was modelled to me in 2008 when we did our first movie together. And we’ve been best buddies ever since.”
The Marvel multiverse has got a bit overwhelming in recent years for the more casual fans who may have seen most of the films but only dabbled in the Disney+ offerings that regularly introduce new concepts and characters that eventually find their way into the films.
Deadpool & Wolverine, for instance, uses the Time Variance Authority (TVA) – a major part of Loki but new to the movies – to help get Deadpool to the MCU. But Levy promises that enjoyment of Deadpool & Wolverine requires no bingeing or studying beforehand.
“I was a good student in school. I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies,” Levy said.
“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. But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.”
Marvel has had some Phase 5 bumps, with films like The Marvels underperforming financially and others underwhelming critics. And outside the MCU, the industry is feeling the pains of so-called “superhero fatigue” that has sent DC back to the drawing boards to start anew. But Deadpool & Wolverine is not to be underestimated.
It could be the first MCU movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home to crack US$1 billion at the box office, which would also put it in the running to become the highest grossing R-rated film of all time. That title currently belongs to Joker with its US$1.08 billion.
“Audiences are hungry for a great time at the movies,” Levy said. “They want to be delighted, transported and entertained. And when they are given that, whether it’s Barbie, Oppenheimer or any number of other recent movies, they show up.”
He added: “The movie is built for audience delight. I think that (they’re) in for a very fun ride.”
