Did we expect Deadpool not to deliver? Well, maybe you did. When plans for a Deadpool 3 were first debated about, in the wake of Disney absorbing 20th Century Fox’s film library, many were skeptical that the mouse would do right by such a project. Would the movie be PG-13? Could a new regime maintain the same humor and continuity of the previous films? So far, those concerns are mostly assuaged by way of the positive reception to the marketing of the latest film. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t without its critics as of late, and Disney desperately needs a movie like Deadpool & Wolverine to hit in order to fight against the narrative that the studio’s best days are behind them.

There’s been a LOT of waiting in the MCU as of late. We’re 5 years removed from Avengers: Endgame, yet it still feels like a transition period for Marvel, as the brand was considerably hotter several years ago. That’s despite an onslaught of movies and Disney+ television shows; at some point, we even switched from Phase 4 to Phase 5. As of now, the “transition period” is a whole ass era. The reasons for the delay in Marvel’s perceived return to form and dominance are plentiful enough to write a completely separate article. But to stick to the key bullet points:

*The franchise has failed to adequately replace Iron Man and Captain America as the faces of the brand.

*Several projects have drawn less than projected revenue, including Eternals, The Marvels, and Antman & the Wasp: Quantumania.

*Speaking of the Antman movie, Jonathan Major’s push as the new Marvel Big Bad was halted by controversy, derailing plans for Kang’s ascent.

*Trying to get Fantastic Four & the X-Men just right.

That last part is a tightrope that Marvel Studios has been trying to walk, one exacerbated by not only the passionate fanbase for the titles in question, but also because of the memories of several bad films in the X-Men and Fantastic Four lineage (Especially the latter). The aforementioned teams are even more valuable to the MCU when you consider several of the biggest stars from phases 1-3 have either retired their character or retirement may be on the horizon.

But, despite years of fans asking where these characters are, we’re finally seeing the long awaited plans put into motion: Fantastic Four will hit theaters in 2025, and dammit THIS will be the version that finally wins over the audience (IDK, maybe, we’ll see…). X-Men ’97 has been making headlines as like… the best Disney+ original ever, and it’s not particularly close. Slight spoilers for The Marvels, but the live action X-Men were teased when Monica Rambea ended up in (as of this writing) an unconfirmed alternate universe.

Then there’s the previously mentioned Deadpool & Wolverine, a superhero team-up adventure that will likely act as the coda for the Fox era of Marvel movies. Seeing Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman together as their iconic characters is a dream to Marvel fans, but it’s also a pairing that will need to hit the balance between fan service and functionally good movie. In the 1st trailer for the movie, we received nary a glimpse of Jackman’s return as Wolverine. Well, trailer 2 hits a 180 and is all about the gruff mutant:

This is the rare trailer that has everything going for it. Electric chemistry between the leads. A fun, infectious energy evoked from director Shawn Levy. Humor that actually lands, but also evidence of darker thematic threads under the surface. I know many want to know how the film fits in a timeline vs. Logan, the previous swan song for Jackman’s Wolverine. However, I’m less concerned with the continuity maintenance, as what’s more intriguing is to see that this version of Wolverine exists under similar tragic circumstances as his Logan counterpart. Yet this game of “badass” exterior masking a more emotional center is in keeping with the tone of the Deadpool movies.

For better or worse, Fox’s X-Men movies were popular, and the cast members remain beloved, even if the entries were very hit or miss. Several of those movies were quite good, and if this movie can do a great job of reminding you of the highs rather than the lows, then Deadpool & Wolverine will be the curtain call Marvel needs to properly say goodbye to that era of X-Men. As for Ryan Reynolds himself, his Marvel future is a bit unclear. But I have to imagine he’s not anywhere close to being done with Deadpool, even if it’s to show up in other people’s movies to cause chaos.

To put it simply, there’s a lot riding on this film, and the expectations are high. However, I’ve seen nothing from the marketing thus far that would dissuade me from thinking the filmmakers are going to nail this movie, apropos considering it’s the biggest Marvel movie of the year. I want everything to do with Wolverine and Deadpool sparring in front of a dilapidated 20th Century Fox logo. You can feel the irreverent commentary seeping through the screen, yet it’s filmed as if it’s business as usual by way of comic book splash pages brought to life. That’s Deadpool, that’s X-Men, and that’s our sardonic present crystallized on screen.

Deadpool & Wolverine get ready for their 4th wall breaking close-up in theaters July 26, 2024.