Deadpool just released its first teaser and the masses are very excited for the upcoming sequel. Since the news that Wolverine & Deadpool will finally come to blows, audiences have been hyped over the return of the anti-hero. For good reason too. Deadpool and Deadpool II have been a commercial and critical success. Ryan Reynolds has saved the iconic anti-hero after Fox fumbled his debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Ryan Reynolds rescued the “merc with a mouth” from obscurity and made him into a pop culture sensation. However, the current feeling about the Marvel brand as a whole isn’t particularly good. While Marvel has had a few good hits following Phase Three, the quality of their content has notably slipped. In fact, quality has been such an issue that the brand had to pull back several 2024 releases. With the current state of the Marvel brand, can Deadpool save the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
The Weird Pressure To Put Marvel Back On The Map
Deadpool saving the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t likely on anyone’s bingo card for 2024. However, that’s the position Deadpool & Wolverine have been put in by plenty of fans and critics. Even Wade Wilson himself has taken many jabs at the recent downfall of the MCU. It’s understandable why so many are banking on Deadpool to give the brand a new life; the sequel is the first film in several years that audiences are genuinely excited to see in theaters. It helps that Ryan Reynolds has proven he understands the Deadpool and X-Men lore greatly.
Reynolds has a clear passion and joy in making these films. That’s showcased in the quality of the movies and the constant advertisements he does regarding Deadpool. The weird part about putting the world on Deadpool’s shoulders is that a great Deadpool film WILL NOT save the MCU.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was an excellent film and yet, it’s been buried in the sea of awfulness. Loki season two was also really good, but The Marvels and Secret Invasion did some damage to the MCU. The point is, it will take more than just one movie to fix the mess that Kevin Feige and Marvel have created.
Deadpool Won’t Be The Reason That Marvel Gets Back On Track
A great Deadpool film will surely restore some hope about the future of the MCU. However, if the next few projects turn out to be the same mediocre or terrible crap that fans have been forced to watch for the past several years then that hope will surely die down. Deadpool was never the problem. It was the clear lack of direction and focus following the fantastic end to Avengers: Endgame.
In truth, Marvel would’ve been wise to end the MCU saga if they didn’t have concrete plans going forward. Too many characters have been introduced and several lingering plot points have yet to be addressed. The multiverse angle could’ve been something really fun and experimental for the brand itself. The current Marvel formula has become stale, and the brief glimpses of something different have showcased that the brand is barely scratching the surface with their content.
It’s still unclear how Marvel is going to fix the Kang mess. Hell, we still don’t have an idea who the new Avengers are anymore. Deadpool & Wolverine has all the tools to be one of the best superhero films ever made. Granted, that’s a tall task since The Dark Knight, Logan, and Spider-Man 2 still exist, but it can at least be something memorable. However, it’s up to Kevin Feige and Marvel to steer the ship back in the proper direction and make sure that their content after Deadpool & Wolverine brings back the quality that made them such a hot brand in the first place.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Success Will Be A Temporary Bandaid To The Real Issue
Deadpool & Wolverine can make over a billion at the box office if this film is favorably received by fans and critics. It’s just a temporary mask until the next Disney Plus show or Marvel film is released. The MCU already got off to somewhat of a rocky start this year thanks to Echo, but thankfully, Deadpool & Wolverine is the final Marvel product scheduled to be released in 2024.
Bob Chapek and Disney got greedy. They rested on the laurels of Phases One through Three and lost sight of why the brand became such a cultural phenomenon for a good period. Kevin Feige is a huge fan of the comics, and that love and passion were showcased through those films. If that same dedication and drive aren’t in the next group of media that Marvel releases, then they’ll be one step closer to the death of superhero films.
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