As a long time reader of fanfiction, I instantly recognize Deadpool & Wolverine for what it was. It was a crack fic. A crack foc written by Deadpool himself. Or more accurately another version of Deadpool who is probably sitting somewhere, responsible for this absolutely demented but brilliant mixture of cameos and storytelling, while ignoring the smutty and tasteful AU’s he has of him and Johnny from Fantastic 4 falling in love. That and probably Deadpool and Blade falling in love as well. The point being, Deadpool & Wolverine felt familiar to me because I have read fanfictions that have a core concept that is so out of pocket and weird that you don’t think it’s going to work. But by the end of it you come out wondering if this is the greatest thing you’ve ever read and if that new kink you discovered unlocked something inside of you.
Deadpool & Wolverine did unlock something inside of me. It unlocked my appreciation for Deadpool as a character himself. And maybe even made me think back to my long history with comic books and the adaptations that come from it.
I’ve never quite cared for Deadpool. I found his humor to be over the top and hard to connect with, like trash college boy humor. And for the longest time I felt like he wasn’t written with someone like me in mind. So I didn’t enjoy the first Deadpool movie or the second one. I watched them because I like comic book movies in general and I work in the entertainment industry. You have to know what’s popular. But it took till Deadpool & Wolverine for me to truly explore or appreciate who Deadpool is as a character. Because yes, he is foul and weird in so many ways. But he’s dedicated, honest about who he is and what he likes, and doesn’t really care what people outside of his circle think about him. Deadpool knows who he is, even when he’s selling Kias. And I kind of want to revisit the two movies that came before this one, because I’m looking at him through different eyes because of this movie.
Then there’s the “love letter” of it all when it comes to Deadpool & Wolverine.
For critics, using “love letter” to describe a movie or TV show, it’s overused and has lost its meaning for many. But when I tell you that Deadpool & Wolverine feels like a love letter, I want you to take a moment to understand what I mean. There are plenty of comic book characters that have come before the Marvel explosion, whether they be in comic books or live action adaptations. And I feel like Deadpool & Wolverine reminded us of them while honoring them. That’s why you had Elektra and Blade there. They came before the MCU as we know it now. And we wouldn’t be anywhere, without the superheroes setting the stage for the vast world that millions around the world enjoy today.
The “love letter” of it all is especially true for X-Men. Because it’s not enough to have Wolverine in this movie going on a wild adventure with Deadpool, who wants to save his family and friends. It’s also not enough to have Wolverine on his own redemption arc. This movie remembered where Logan came from, how it ended for one of them, and the multitude of alternate realities where creatives have told his story and built a world around him and the X-Men. And sure, some of these versions of Logan might be short, Henry Cavill, or be nailed to an X surrounded by a bunch of skulls. But they are all part of X-Men and they are all remembered in this movie.
I also think that Deadpool & Wolverine is a “love letter” to fans. The MCU didn’t invent comic book characters or live action adaptations. It has thrived in that space and figured out how to use it to its advantage. But Marvel didn’t invent it and you don’t have to be a fan of the MCU to be a fan of superheroes. In addition, I think it’s a “love letter” to fans like me. I’ve been watching superhero movies or been immersed in these worlds for as long as I can remember. And sometimes, when things got really bad and I didn’t want to be here anymore, I would tell myself to wait, because there was going to be a project, movie, or book about the heroes that I connected with and who made me feel less lonely. And I couldn’t leave without finding out what happened, right? So I stayed. And I’m still here.
Admittedly, I feel a little cheesy getting emotional over a review of Deadpool & Wolverine, but I had so much fun in the movie theater watching this movie that I can’t stop thinking about it. I felt joy watching this movie. Because for so long I’ve looked back on the superheroes that raised me with sadness. They got me through the day but those were painful days. But like any good crack fic, I found myself looking at something familiar to me once more, but now with new eyes. I had fun remembering that I’ve never understood Gambit, no matter what adaptation he’s been in. I hooted and hollered when Blade appeared because I was obsessed with those movies. And I found myself wanting to know about Deadpool not because I wanted to survive or be around for the next adaptation, but because I was curious.
I haven’t been curious, truly curious, about a comic book character in a while. But now I want to know everything about Deadpool. Because he isn’t just some college boy humor wrapped up in things that I feel like don’t belong to me. He’s honest about who he is, willing to fight for his family with everything that he has, and does all of that while having such a good time. Let’s not forget the fact that he’s queer. Not the kind of queer where he’s just comfortable with his sexuality and can appreciate a beautiful man. Deadpool is down to clown. Maybe even down to clown with a clown. There are no barriers there. I saw and understood that this was Deadpool within every second of Deadpool & Wolverine.
And maybe I don’t want to dress up like Deadpool or write fanfiction about us falling in love together like the alternate version of Deadpool reading this review would probably want. But I do find myself wanting to emulate a little bit of what Deadpool is within this movie into my life. I could do with being a little bit more honest about what I like while being unapologetically weird instead of constantly making myself smaller because maybe I won’t get hurt that way or people will like me if I just blend in. I could try the new thing or reach out and experience this world a little bit more instead of stapling a bad wig to my head and selling mediocre family vehicles. I’m not doing either of those two last bits btw.
In conclusion, because I think I lost my way a little bit there and had a full-on journey of introspection about a buddy movie with guys in leather or spandex, Deadpool & Wolverine was fanfiction at its finest. The kind of fanfiction that unlocks new kinks, makes you question your life, and that you want to download immediately as an epub so you don’t lose it just in case the OG author deletes it. (If you read AO3, you know.) And when this movie comes out in some physical format, I’ll probably buy that too. Because this is a crack fic that I would like to keep as a reminder that even the craziest movies out there, can make you self-reflect while also honoring all the great comic book stories that kept you alive for all these years.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now in theaters.
