Marvel is finally bringing together two of the franchise’s wittiest and most rebellious characters in its newest film, Deadpool & Wolverine. Fans of the two characters have been desperate for a film that puts the duo front and center. Deadpool and Wolverine are renowned throughout their respective comics for their unhinged jokes, unrestrained language, and unbridled violence. Simply put, it’s a match made in heaven.
From speculation to which movies to watch beforehand, we have everything you need to know to get ready for the big day. With two Deadpool films in the books alongside a whole multiverse of X-Men movies, there’s no shortage of Marvel content you can dive into in anticipation of the newest release.
However, make sure you’re aware of how you’re accessing content. The original X-Men movie franchise was released as far back as the year 2000, which has given piracy platforms and torrent sites plenty of time to spread unauthorized reproductions of the films far and wide. Be sure to know how to recognize illegal streaming websites before you decide to watch anything online.
Everything You Should Know Before Seeing Deadpool & Wolverine
The current golden age of Deadpool films has been a long time coming. The character, portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, initially made his on-screen debut alongside Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, the project and its introduction of Deadpool became one of the biggest cinematic superhero fumbles of all time.
The film received especially sharp rebukes from Empire and Collider, and fans of the wise-cracking, charismatic Deadpool from the comics were enraged by the character’s lack of screen time. To make matters worse, by the end of the movie, Deadpool had his mouth sewn shut, removing the wit and charm that are so indicative of the character.
Since that time, 20th Century Fox course corrected and leaned into the adult comedy and rude language that fans loved about the character. In 2014, leaked test footage showed a reimagined Deadpool doodling with crayons and slaughtering his enemies. The clip was met with immediate praise by fans, and the project was greenlit. In 2016, 20th Century Fox reintroduced the comical, violent, fourth-wall-breaking superhero to the world, keeping Reynolds as the lead.
The new film, Deadpool was directed by Tim Miller and was a box office success. Two years later, director David Leitch undertook the sequel, Deadpool 2. Both received critical praise, with the two films holding a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 90% and 85% respectively.
Deadpool & Wolverine, colloquially known as Deadpool 3, is the third installment of the Deadpool franchise, now owned by Disney and directed by Shawn Levy. Hugh Jackman will be returning as Wolverine, but similar to Deadpool, the character will depart from its previous iterations. Wolverine previously served as the de facto leader of a group of mutants with superpowers in the 2000 film X-Men. Since then, the X-Men franchise has added a soft reboot/prequel movie series beginning with X-Men: First Class in 2011, as well as a dystopian timeline in 2017’s Logan.
What to Watch First
Because the character of Deadpool is notorious for breaking the fourth wall and being aware of our world and pop culture events, knowing what to watch beforehand is a challenge. Deadpool & Wolverine is likely to reference and poke fun at events in previous Deadpool installments, older X-Men movies, other MCU films and shows, and even other Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman films.
Deadpool & Wolverine is a direct sequel to the previous Deadpool movies, which means it’s best to, at least, watch Deadpool and Deadpool 2 beforehand — both are available on Disney+.
Also available on Disney+ are the many X-Men films that may be relevant:
- X-Men (2000)
- X2: X-Men United (2003)
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
- X-Men: First Class (2011)
- The Wolverine (2013)
- X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
- X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
- Logan (2017)
As far as the dozens of MCU titles that could be relevant, Avengers: Endgame, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Loki (seasons one and two) could prove important.
However, if you choose not to catch up with every prior film, it’s unlikely that you will be lost by the story.
Shawn Levy
Canadian Director Shawn Levy is best known for directing the Night at the Museum franchise as well as being an executive producer for the Netflix series Stranger Things.
Levy’s portfolio is so expansive that it already includes work with both Deadpool & Wolverine stars, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. In 2011, he produced Real Steel, which starred Jackman. Then, in 2021 and 2022, he produced Free Guy and The Adam Project, both starring Reynolds.
Movie Plot
Having left his mercenary persona behind, Wade Wilson does what he can to make it through the monotony of civilian life. However, his listlessness is interrupted by agents of the TVA — an organization tasked with monitoring the multiverse — who have identified an existential threat to the planet and seek to recruit Deadpool to secure the prosperity of his timeline. Wade must don his suit and team up with a reluctant Wolverine, and together, they’ll throw themselves into the fray for the sake of existence itself.
Deeper Analysis, Speculation and Potential Spoilers
While casual viewers are sure to enjoy this bloody, profanity-laced entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, die-hard fans are already buzzing with speculation and gleaning every possible detail they can from the released trailers and press announcements.
The biggest announcement is that of the film’s villain: Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin. Marvel describes Cassandra as a Mummudrai, a formless parasite who copies the DNA of infants just before they are born in order to grow bodies of their own. Each Mummundrai, however, is the antithesis of the individual they cloned, and Cassandra copied the DNA of one Charles Xavier, making her the most powerful supervillain the MCU has seen yet.
While the Deadpool movies exist within the mutant universe, MCU has already begun establishing the existence of mutants elsewhere. In the finale of Ms. Marvel, which was released in June 2022, it’s revealed that Kamala’s genes have a mutation. A month earlier, Patrick Stewart himself appeared as a variant of Professor Xavier in Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. The after-credit scene in 2023’s The Marvels made the most significant callout yet, having Beast, a popular X-Men character appear in an alternate universe.
The internet has also been alive with rumors of Taylor Swift making an appearance as herself or as the mutant Dazzler in the new film. Both People Magazine and Us Weekly have published their theories, and fans across YouTube have been laying out their evidence. Notably, Dazzler has the ability to turn sound waves into powerful lasers and she disguises her gifts through a life as a singer, actor, and dancer, much like Swift herself.
Genre
Deadpool 3 is a superhero movie that IMDb has tagged as Action, Adventure, and Sci-Fi. Like Many MCU movies, the film already has a strong sense of action and wit, but both are taken up a notch or two, to put it mildly. The movie does not refrain from blood, profanity, or adult humor.
Runtime
“Deadpool & Wolverine” will have a runtime of 2 hours and 7 minutes.
Rating
The third Deadpool movie is expected to be rated R like both of its predecessors. The trailer alone has more profanity than what’s permitted for a PG-13 rating as well as dramatic violence complete with sprays for blood. The two previous films were rated R for Language Throughout, Brief Drug Material, Sexual References, Strong Violence, and Graphic Nudity.
Theatrical Release Date
Deadpool & Wolverine will arrive on July 26 in theaters all across the U.S.
Streaming Options
The newest Deadpool film is scheduled to be released exclusively to theaters. Any platform offering access to the film during its theatrical run is surely an unauthorized source. Viewing or downloading pirated content can lead to serious consequences that can affect you, your personal data and identity, and the integrity of your device.
The previous Deadpool and X-Men movies are all available to stream through a subscription with Disney+ and can also be bought or rented through platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Fandango, Vudu, and YouTube.
If you choose to access this content through a Disney+ subscription, please bear in mind that these franchises are not geared toward children like so many other movies on the platform are. X-Men and Deadpool films carry PG-13 and R ratings.
Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer
See Deadpool get back in action as he convinces a reluctant Wolverine to join his team and save the world. Please note that, even though it’s a preview, the official teaser and trailer are not for the faint of heart. The trailer contains strong language and gore throughout.
Cast & Crew
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman return in their decades-long roles as Deadpool and Wolverine. In addition to returning cast members such as Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, and Stefan Kapicic as Colossus, Deadpool & Wolverine is rumored to have a number of cameos and actors reprising their roles in other superhero franchises including: Ray Park as Toad (X-Men, 2000) and Jennifer Garner as Elektra (Daredevil, 2003).
Cast
- Ryan Reynolds: Wade Wilson / Deadpool
- Hugh Jackman: Logan / Wolverine
- Emma Corrin: Cassandra Nova
- Morena Baccarin: Vanessa
- Rob Delaney: Peter
- Karan Soni: Dopinder
- Leslie Uggams: Blind Al
- Matthew Macfadyen: Mr. Paradox
- Jennifer Garner: Elektra
- Kelly Hu: Yuriko Oyama / Deathstrike
- Brianna Hildebrand: Negasonic Teenage Warhead
- Ray Park: Mortimer Toynbee / Toad
- Jason Flemyng: Azazel
- Shioli Kutsuna: Yukio
- Aaron Stanford: Pyro
- Lewis Tan: Shatterstar
- Stefan Kapicic: Colossus
Crew
- Director: Shawn Levy
- Writers: Shawn Levy, Rhett Reese, Ryan Reynolds, Zeb Wells, Paul Wernick
- Producers: Louis D’Esposito, George Dewey, Wendy Jacobson, Simon Kinberg, Jonathon Komack Martin, Josh McLaglen, Mary McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
- Composer: Rob Simonsen
- Production Companies: Marvel Studios, Maximum Effort, 21 Laps Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
How To Stream Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to be released exclusively to theaters. No platform has been authorized to stream the film upon its release. After its theatrical run, be sure to keep an eye out for it on Disney+ where you can find the other Deadpool installments and the various X-Men sagas. You can also check to see if your current streaming provider offers a Disney+ add-on such as Hulu’s Disney Bundle.
If you love superhero and action films, we compiled a comprehensive database so you can easily locate the best, legal options to stream all your favorite movies. Piracy is a growing problem in the industry, and deceptive sites can quickly compromise your data or infect your device with malware. These illegal platforms often masquerade as free alternatives to paid platforms. However, not all free sites are bad. In fact, there are several 100% free streaming sites that are completely legal where you can find tons of great content in just a few clicks.
As you wait for the premiere, settle in with StreamSafely to find all your favorite content in a safe, responsible way.
