There’s certainly no way to quantify this, but I’d be willing to bet there hasn’t been a more meta movie made than Shawn Levy’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.” However, I’m quite sure there’s never been a film made more distinctly in the name of fan service than this sure box-office winner, a work that bends over backwards to please its ardent followers. In doing so, it keeps those with a marginal interest in these superhero doings at arm’s distance, likely going so far as alienating some, what with its repetitious, abrasive nature.
But first, some background, much needed for the casual viewer, as references abound not only to the various characters and situations from the previous “Deadpool” movies, but also offscreen machinations that have opened up — for good or ill — myriad narrative opportunities and complications. When Disney bought 20th Century Fox, it acquired the rights to the Marvel characters that studio controlled. Thus, the X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool could be folded into the Mouse House’s previously purchased Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This couldn’t have come at a better time for Disney, as their Marvel movies have stalled at the box office and are in dire need of inspiration and reinvention. The prospect of having the Fantastic Four and the X-Men interact on screen with Iron Man, Thor, et. al, has had fans drooling in expectation, as these meetings have already occurred in comic books for decades.
There have been small nods to this .