The Big Lie About Deadpool & Wolverine

Key Takeaways

Contrary to initial claims, understanding the Marvel universe is essential for enjoying Deadpool & Wolverine
Despite the lie, viewers are still enjoying the film which has broken box office records and surpassed $1 billion
Top-notch marketing, numerous references, and the excitement of a long-awaited team-up helped the film succeed

Long before Deadpool & Wolverine hit theaters, leading man Ryan Reynolds suggested the film would stand on its own. Some of the crew even suggested fans wouldn’t necessarily need to do homework by watching other films in order to understand the threequel. It was thought that Deadpool & Wolverine would be one of the few superhero films where general audiences could simply watch the movie and enjoy it without problems.

Of course, now that the movie is out, it’s clear this isn’t exactly true. While general audiences can enjoy the movie as it is, there’s a lot that will not be understood if they’re unfamiliar with the Marvel films that came before it. Including not only Fox’s X-Men Universe, but also New Line’s Blade movies and Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite this lie, though, Deadpool & Wolverine managed to become the biggest R-rated movie of all time.

New Deadpool and Wolverine Concept Art Reveals Two Huge Cameos That Didn’t Make The Cut

Deadpool and Wolverine concept art reveals two Marvel cameos fans would have loved had they joined Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in the final cut.

Why Viewers Would’ve Benefited From Doing Homework

While Deadpool & Wolverine is a sequel to the first two Deadpool films, it’s also a love letter to the Marvel movies that came long before it. Which is why Reynolds and director Shawn Levy’s comments about being able to watch it without doing ‘homework,’ is so surprising. Sure, audiences can enjoy the film on a surface level with little knowledge. However, it’s impossible to truly enjoy the film without being able to understand the jokes and cameos peppered throughout. From a joke twenty-years in the making involving Reynolds and Blade actor, Wesley Snipes, to the inclusion of Channing Tatum’s Gambit, who reveals he might’ve been born inside the Void because of his canceled Gambit movie. To the inclusion of Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, and Deadpool’s joke about Daredevil having been killed. To Deadpool’s repeated poking of Marvel’s struggles since the Infinity Saga ended. The idea that viewers wouldn’t have had to watch other superhero films in order to truly enjoy Deadpool & Wolverine is a definite lie. Working in Deadpool & Wolverine‘s favor, though, is the fact that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a highly loved franchise that has fans eagerly awaiting each and new installment. While Fox struggled with its X-Men Universe, and Blade was released well over two decades ago, the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom tends to intersect with the fandom of these films.

With that said, while the average person probably doesn’t understand the jokes regarding Channing Tatum’s Gambit, or why his involvement was so exciting for fans, the actor’s performance and his portrayal of the character is enough to have them looking into it afterward. The same can be said for the inclusion of Blade, and even the ties to Logan and Deadpool’s love of the character.

How the Lie Didn’t Hurt the Film’s Box Office

Interestingly enough, while the movie was initially promoted as a standalone film that required little to no homework from audiences, the film continues to smash box office expectations. This, of course, suggests audiences don’t care about the apparent lie, and are still enjoying the movie despite it all. In fact, the film has already crossed $1 billion at the box office and overtook Joker to become the highest grossing R-rated filmat the box office. As it stands,Deadpool & Wolverineis expected to finish well over $600 stateside, a feat that is impressive in its own right and one many superhero films would be lucky to achieve these days.So, how didDeadpool & Wolverinemanage to secure viewers despite its lie about being a standalone film that doesn’t require viewers to watch other movies? The marketing for the movie was top-notch, from Marvel Studios showing the film to fans during a Hall H panel, to the over-the-top drone show it put on after for San Diego Comic-Con attendees. As if that wasn’t enough, though, Reynolds and Hugh Jackman set out on an all-star promotional tour that left fans excited to see them finally team-up on the big screen.

More importantly, though, Marvel Studios’ marketing team didn’t shy away from the fact that Deadpool & Wolverine would include references to other films, including Logan. The studio opted to include Dafne Keen in the final trailer for the film, addressing the rumors that she would appear, as a means of controlling the narrative when she attended the world premiere of the film. While, like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Deadpool & Wolverine was rumored to include a plethora of cameos before it premiered, fans seemed more excited about the team-up between the titular characters than a bunch of cameos. Especially with Jackman’s Wolverine finally set to don the iconic blue and yellow suit for the first time ever on the big screen. So, yes, the film required homework from audiences, but Deadpool & Wolverine managed to excite audiences simply because it was a team-up that was a long, long time in the making.

Deadpool & Wolverine is currently playing exclusively in theaters.