Shawn Levy is no novice when it comes to rumors around his projects. Years on āStranger Thingsā taught him how to tune out the noise. Yet even heās found himself astonished by the sheer volume of speculation around āDeadpool & Wolverine.ā
āThe rumors around this movie are overwhelming,ā Levy told The Associated Press earlier this year. āBut so is the anticipation, which is a nice situation.ā
Anticipation might be an understatement for a movie that is poised to be when it opens on Thursday.
The , which aired during the Super Bowl, was viewed a record 365 million times online in its first 24 hours. The second broke another record ā for the most āF-bombsā in the MCU (six in less than three minutes).
Much of that excitement is because this film marks the first time Ryan Reynoldsā foul-mouthed Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackmanās Wolverine are being folded into Kevin Feigeās Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both properties existed previously under the 21st Century Fox banner.
When Disney acquired the studioās , Wolverine had already died in āLogan,ā a third āDeadpoolā 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 Company CEO Bob Iger was already reassuring people that a Disney Deadpool would remain R-rated. Soon after, Reynolds also posted a photo on social media showing his character with Mickey Mouse ears on a yellow school bus labeled āDisney.ā The meta humor, it seemed, was also firmly intact.
But what would the story be? Levy was announced as the filmās director in early 2022, coming in as a fan of Reynoldsā snarky tone and fourth wall breaking.
āThere was no way I was going to reinvent a wheel, a tonal wheel, that works so beautifully,ā Levy said. āBoth Disney and Marvel, up and down the food chain, empowered Ryan and I to make this movie exactly as we dreamed.ā
WAIT, HOW IS WOLVERINE HERE?
Things really started to really take shape when Jackman signed on that fall, however. It would mark the first time that the characters would be together in a movie since 2009ās āX-Men Origins: Wolverine.ā In the years since, Reynolds and Jackman have staged a very tongue in cheek, very funny āfeudā with one another on social media, dancing around the idea of sharing the big screen again.
The dream seemed to have died after āLoganā and Jackmanās retirement as Wolverine. But death is never exactly final in the multiverse, and, they promised, this film would not interfere with āLogan.ā
āItās a really interesting duo,ā Levy said. āTheyāre built for huge conflict with each other because theyāre so different individually. But that makes for a very interesting story, because the best two hander stories, whether itās āMidnight Runā or ā48 Hoursā or āPlanes, Trains and Automobiles,ā yes, itās littered with conflict. But itās ultimately about something more as well and thatās what audiences will see.ā
The dynamic was also fueled by the real-life friendship between Levy, Jackman and Reynolds that goes back a decade off screen and includes films like āFree Guyā and āReal Steel.ā
āThe real benefit of being friends off set is that you can try crazy stuff without fear of falling. Because some of it wonāt work and that will be momentarily embarrassing, but if youāre among friends, itās okay to make a fool of yourself in the pursuit of something surprising and something unexpected,ā Levy said. āThis movie is filled with moments, both comedic and character based, that we didnāt expect and were the result of a freedom that that came from being friends.ā
At the New York premiere Monday, Jackman and Reynolds were definitely in friend mode, praising one another with no snark.
ā(Ryanās) exactly as you think," Jackman said. āAn extraordinary man. Generous, humble brilliant and a great friend.ā
Reynolds added that Jackman was āsomeone who operated in a completely different way, did everything through the prism of genuine kindness, diligence, hard work. And that was modeled to me in 2008 when we did our first movie together. And weāve been best buddies ever since.ā
ITāS SUMMER. NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED.
The Marvel multiverse has gotten 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. āDeadpool & Wolverine,ā for instance, uses the Time Variance Authority (TVA) ā a major part of āLokiā but new to the movies ā to help get Deadpool to the MCU. But Levy promises that enjoyment of āDeadpool & Wolverineā requires no bingeing or studying beforehand.
"I was a good student in school. Iāll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies,ā Levy said.
āI 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 didnāt want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.ā
OH, RIGHT, THE MOVIE...
So, what about whatās IN the film? Well, thatās something that Levy won't really talk about. Until Mondayās premiere, reporters were only allowed to see 40 minutes; Soon the floodgates will open and spoilers will take over social media.
But āDeadpool & Wolverineā hasn't needed to tease out plotlines to stoke enthusiasm. The fans are already there and ready, whether or not Taylor Swift is involved (by all accounts, she's not).
Marvel has had some Phase 5 bumps, with films like āThe Marvelsā and others underwhelming critics. And outside of the MCU, the industry is feeling the pains of so-called āsuperhero fatigueā that has sent DC . But āDeadpool & Wolverineā is not to be underestimated.
Critics have been largely positive too. that the film āleans into its genre more than the franchiseās first two movies." She cautions that the plot starts to feel a little aimless toward the end, but that, āThe bloody but comedic final fight scene ... is enough to perk viewers back up for the last act, solidifying the filmās identity as a fun, generally well-made summer movie.ā
And it could be the first MCU movie since āSpider-Man: No Way Homeā to crack $1 billion, which would also put it in the running to become the highest grossing R-rated film of all time. That title currently belongs to āJokerā with its $1.08 billion. Itās currently tracking to open around $160 million, but some bullish analysts are forecasting as high as $200 million. To beat āBarbie's" opening last year, it has to surpass $162 million.
āAudiences are hungry for a great time at the movies,ā Levy said. āThey want to be delighted, transported and entertained. And when they are given that, whether itās āBarbie,ā āOppenheimerā or any number of other recent movies, they show up.ā
He added: āThe movie is built for audience delight. I think that (theyāre) in for a very fun ride.ā
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Producer John Carucci contributed to this report.
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A version of this story first moved April 25, 2024, as part of APās Summer Movie Preview. It has been updated to reflect the current date, with box office tracking and quotes from the New York premiere and AP's review.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
