Throughout its marketing, Deadpool and Wolverine billed itself as both a swan song to the 2000s era of comic book films, the Fox X-Men franchise, and taking swings at the more muted reception towards the recent output of MCU films. However, while watching it, it felt more akin to beating an already dead horse with bags of that sweet, sweet Disney money while making jokes about movies that have been mocked to death for multiple years and even decades. I would not consider Deadpool and Wolverine’s massive box office a sign of success but a warning for what’s to come as Disney takes the wrong lessons from it. It might not be the first to have the worst types of fan service, but it proves how much this specific type can draw in audiences, along with its highly shallow critique of recent superhero media—spoilers for the film. 

First off, I am not against fan service. As a comic book fan, I enjoy it when my favorite characters get the spotlight or a creative team references a deep cut I recognize. Having those nuggets pop up as if to thank me for being a fan can feel rewarding. However, the fan service in Deadpool and Wolverine comes across as exhuming the old corpses of these past failed movies and puppeting them to make audiences laugh. I enjoyed seeing Dafne Keen return, but my eyes glazed over Chris Evans showing up as the Human Torch, Wesley Snipes as Blade, or even finally letting Channing Tatum be Gambit. It came across as stunt casting and to inspire reactions on social media where the movie does not dive deeper into being swallowed up by the success of the MCU. Jennifer Garner, as Elektra, got to make a Daredevil/Ben Affleck joke, Deadpool references Snipes’s frustration with Ryan Reynolds on the set of Blade Trinity, and so forth. Instead of making actual jokes, it comes across more as Reynolds and the other writers trying to recapture a feeling of joy by putting these characters on the screen again. 

Although called Deadpool and Wolverine, the X-Men get a backseat compared to the other non-Disney Marvel films, which get much more love and attention. Outside of Aaron Stanford, Dafne Keen, and even Tyler Mane, who get the most screen time as returning X-Men characters, Deadpool’sDeadpool’s cast gets sidelined, and the remaining mutants are played as background details for fans to point out. I am not expecting Olivia Munn to return as Psylocke or Jason Fleming as Azazel. Still, they cared more about stunt casting than integrating the Fox X-Men characters into the narrative. Especially with characters like Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Colossus, Shatterstar, and Vanessa, who have played significant roles in the past, Deadpool movies are essentially shunted off until the film’s end. The final project is a hollow mess that left me hungry for a more substantial narrative. The Fox X-Men and the remaining Fox comic book movies do not get a proper sendoff. 

Then comes Deadpool and Wolverine’s critiques of the recent MCU films and current superhero media. Relying on pot shots, hackneyed jokes, and grating fourth wall breaks, it never crafts a genuine, honest critique. We know about fans complaining that Wolverine never got to wear his actual costume in the original films, how Marvel’s quality is going down, and even that Rob Liefeld can’t draw feet. The issue lies in Deadpool and Wolverine, a commercial project by Disney that allows the viewer to believe that Disney is aware of Deadpool making fun of the company; all the while, they willingly grab your ticket money. Movies, TV shows, and even comics are the sole products of these companies to market to the masses, and they will do whatever it takes to ensure they succeed. And especially framing Deadpool, who is one of the most popular Marvel characters, as an underdog taking the winds from the Marvel sails lose its bite when you also remember that Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy, two highly successful people in film and television, doing a project funded by one of the biggest companies in entertainment. Frankly, the more significant issue that Deadpool and Wolverine do not want to acknowledge is how often art gets treated by these giant corporations and how even the creatives do not get recognition and monetary payment for their creations. These huge blockbuster franchises are built upon the work of writers, artists, and creatives who need more money for the incredible art they make. Toting the project as Disney’s first R-rated film for the MCU, it lacks any bite or power but fits within the ultra corporate refined track record image of the past movies. It is another property and IP for the giant corporate monster to ingest, process, and feed to its global audience.

About two weeks ago, Marvel announced the restructuring of the MCU, where the Russo Brothers and Robert Downey Jr. would return as directors for the upcoming films, and he would be Doctor Doom. Aside from my many problems with this news, it calls to mind another critical issue of the current MCU films and even Deadpool and Wolverine. The usage of nostalgia can only last so long before it crumbles and leaves a bitter taste in the audience’s throats. I do not think that audiences are getting tired of superhero films; they are exhausted by these big corporations repacking familiar stories where they play it safe and repeating the cycle. And with the movie making over $852 million, Disney and similar companies will learn the wrong lesson from it. Instead of the success of other movies that took risks, hollow familiarity and safety proved the winner. 

Fox’s comic book movies were not perfect, but they were many people’s introductions to the comics. X-Men: First Class, for all its faults, got me into the mutants and made me the X-Men fan I am today. Deadpool and Wolverine left a bad taste in my mouth as it signals what a corporation would do to attract a fledgling audience by offering shallow fan service. Much like the beginning of the film with Deadpool digging up Logan’s adamantium skeleton, Disney will continue to do the same to keep butts in their seats. Its massive success would count as a joke to the people saying that superhero films are falling out of fashion, but it’s not funny when there are long-term corrosive consequences. The only people laughing are Disney as they take the cheap hits on the way to the bank. Who needs a compelling story, interesting characters, or good basic writing when you can rely on IP to satisfy a viewer? Like the Fox films, we are trapped in a void by Disney and similar corporations who want to play us the safe hits instead of doing anything new and fresh.