Don’t worry people, no spoilers here – I’ll leave that to Wade himself when he takes on his own synopsis in a bit, but I’ve literally just come out of the theatre and wanted to share my thoughts.

Initial Thoughts
I don’t know what I was expecting, other than Deadpool and Wolverine, as it says on the tin, but obviously, going into this I was expecting multiversal madness in a way of getting Wade and Logan where they need to be – the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The movie begins with Wade‘s usual charm over the opening credits, in his usual violent ways, to a thumping 90s pop song. From that point on, you kinda get exactly what you wanted: Wade catches us up – exactly as before – as we get a snap shot of his not-so-vigilant life. At a birthday bash in his honour, TVA agents apprehend him and, along with universe ending consequences, Deadpool is offered a way into the MCU. Except that’s not Wade’s priority.

Cue a jump through the multiverse to find the one person who can help him: Logan, aka Wolverine. But the Logan he finally picks (and he meets several) is not the best, a simpering loser who has given up on life. Naturally, Deadpool sees him as the perfect fit.

Unfortunately Matthew MacFadyen’s TVA villain isn’t happy, pruning the pair to the Void where they encounter a veritable hosts of familiar faces, some expected, some massively surprising! Emma Corrin’s Cassandra Nova rules the roost in the Void from her giant Scott Lang-base and the pair are going to have to thwart her to get out of the Void and save a universe or two…

Verdict
It’s always very difficult for me to review or give my opinion on a Marvel movie. I want each movie to succeed and long to see the universe expand. I’m sure a lot of fans feel this way. They worry about the movie being bad, putting our beloved universe in jeopardy. Most fans of any franchise do I suppose (I certainly have, more than once, being a Whovian).

The first MCU movie I walked out of slightly deflated was Thor: Love and Thunder. Now I liked the movie, enjoyed the story, the plot, the characters – but it felt lacklustre. Had Endgame ruined it for me? Black Widow had felt unnecessary, I wasn’t clamouring for an Eternals sequel and Shang-Chi and his Ten Rings had disappeared as if he had never been. Disney+ had show after show, all watched live as a fan until Moon Knight when finally I said enough. I took my time. No more live viewings. I enjoyed everything, but I didn’t LOVE everything. I know – there’s no rule to love everything – but I’ve never read a single Marvel comic and not wanted to follow the character, whoever it is. They all have potential and I’m a completist.

So after Quantumania left me feeling anti-climatic and confused for the future plot overall and The Marvels impressing me enough (especially with the cameo post-credits), the future was Deadpool shaped.

Now I’m an X-Men fan, first and foremost. Deadpool can be an acquired taste. Maybe I just don’t find him funny on paper, but he’s linked to the X-Men and I follow him just as I follow them. In time I got used to his constant fourth-wall breaking, and my autistic brain eventually understood what the Heck Wade Was On About. I enjoyed the movies. The humour can be a bit crass and puerile for my tastes, but that’s just the way the character is written. And besides, with Logan with him, the movie would appeal.

And unfortunately for me, that’s where the X-Connections end. Yes, there’s references sprinkled throughout: Charles, Magneto, Scott, Storm and Beast are all name checked and several of their movie villains turn up as part of Nova’s army. There are cameos that will tickle people and others that will stun, providing you’ve stayed away from X and Reddit. But it’s very much a bromance film with the title characters on an extended road-trip throughout some of those Marvel movies that you may not remember. There’s a lovely tribute to some of these films during the end credits, which was unexpectedly emotional. As usual, music plays a big part in Deadpool’s narrative, so the sound track is superb. That is one of the best uses of ‘Like A Prayer’ in any media, ever!

The plot is fine – it’s pure fan-service and I can’t imagine any fan walking out of the theatre upset with anything in particular. When Wade says he’s the saviour of the MCU, he may very well be right. If this is the start of the Mutant Saga, then I’m sure some other characters from other X-Films may still turn up.

Go see the movie, enjoy the humour, embrace the mania and fasten your seatbelts. To make a pun at the expense of one of it’s stars, it really is the greatest show.

At least on Earth 1000-5.