Deadpool & Wolverine, the 34th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is finally here. Directed by Shawn Levy, it is the first R-rated movie in MCU and introduces both Deadpool and Wolverine to Marvel Studios, with the two superheroes teaming up in what is a superhero version of the classic buddy movie dynamic. As expected, the action is almost relentless, and the movie is absolutely crammed with cameos that will elicit cheers, hoots and laughter. Let’s try and make sense of that explosive Deadpool and Wolverine ending.
The MCU has had a rough run of late and frankly every single entry since Avengers: Endgame (2019) has been missing the oomph factor that made those earlier movies special. That being said, for perhaps a majority of MCU fans who have been disillusioned by recent movies, Deadpool & Wolverine will probably bring their love and excitement for these movies back. It has everything, cameos, scenery-chewing villains, a team-up between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, and since it is a Deadpool movie, lots of references to other movies and the larger pop culture.
Deadpool, other mutant characters and Fantastic Four can now be part of the MCU, thanks to Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox’s assets.
Spoilers ahead!
What is Deadpool & Wolverine all about?
In the movie, wise-cracking, foul-mouthed mutant superhero Wade Wilson or Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds) uses Cable’s time-travel device to go to Earth-616, the Sacred Timeline, and applies for membership in the Avengers. Happy Hogan (played by Jon Favreau) interviews him and politely dismisses him.
Meanwhile, Wade is on the radar of the TVA (Time-Variance Authority) from the Loki TV series. And during his birthday party, where his loved ones and friends are present, he is abducted by TVA agents. At a TVA office, a man called Mr. Paradox (played by Matthew Macfadyen) informs him that his timeline, that is Earth-10005, will eventually disappear since its anchor being, Logan (played by Hugh Jackman) is dead — he died in the James Mangold-directed 2017 movie, Logan). Everyone Deadpool loves, including Vanessa (played by Morena Baccarin), Dopinder (played by Karan Soni), Peter Wisdom (played by Rob Delaney) and Blind Al (played by Leslie Uggams), among others, will perish as well. Not to say anything about trillions of people and other beings will also die in the universe.
Deadpool steals Paradox’s tempad instead and decides to find a variant of Wolverine to team up with to save his timeline. After rifling through several different kinds of Wolverines (one of whom is played by none other than Henry Cavill, the former Superman actor), he eventually finds a particularly drunk and grumpy one — but it turns out he was responsible for the death of his own universe.
However, Wade will have to make do. They make an uneasy duo and obviously fight amongst themselves several times. But when Deadpool says Paradox and the TVA can fix Wolverine’s universe, he agrees. They confront Paradox, but he sends them to the Void instead.
What happens in the Deadpool & Wolverine ending?
Deadpool & Wolverine is pretty fast-paced, but a lot is happening at any given time. Even if you include several special appearances, its plot is quite paper-thin. Here is what happens at the Deadpool and Wolverine ending.
In the Void, Deadpool and Wolverine meet other variants of superheroes who have ended up there as they did not belong in their own universe. Among them is Chris Evans, but he is not portraying Captain America. Instead, it’s Johnny Storm or Human Torch, which was Evans’ first superhero movie role that he played in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).
They eventually end up in the corpse of Ant-Man in its giant form. It is now a shelter for many other runaway mutants. They serve a certain Cassandra Nova (played by Emma Corrin), who calls herself the twin sister of Charles Xavier. Wolverine and Deadpool try to fight her, but she is simply unkillable, able to do things by just thinking, and their blades (whether swords or claws) have no effect on her. She leaves them to be consumed by Alioth, the cloud-like monster we saw in Loki. They escape and eventually end up at a hideout of resistance members: Blade (played by Wesley Snipes), Elektra (played by Jennifer Garner), Gambit (played by Channing Tatum) and Laura (played by Dafne Keen).
They head back to Nova, thinking that Juggernaut’s helmet will stop her from using her powers. A huge battle ensues, and they end up restraining her. However, she cannot send them back unless she uses her powers. If they remove the helmet, she would, and I quote her, boil their brains.
When Wolverine plays the Xavier card and says if he knew about her he would have ripped the fabric of reality to reunite with her. Nova relents and uses a deceased Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring to send them back.
Back at TVA, they fend off an army of Deadpool corps, populated by different kinds of Deadpool variants from various realities. But Nova, who we have learned is TVA’s voice in the Void, has followed and now plans to use a device called Time Ripper to destroy every single timeline until only the Void is left. Paradox says either Deadpool or Wolverine can stop Nova if he can stop the flow of power to the Time Ripper, but he will then be destroyed — accelerated healing or not. Eventually, both join forces and defeat Nova by using their bodies as conductors and survive. Paradox is arrested by Hunter B-15 (played by Wunmi Mosaku).
At the Deadpool & Wolverine ending, Wolverine says he is retired, but Wade takes him back to his place, where everyone is still somehow present (no time has passed since Wade was whisked away by the TVA?)
What does the Deadpool & Wolverine ending mean?
Are Deadpool and Wolverine part of the MCU now?
After watching the Deadpool & Wolverine ending, this appears to be the entire plan of the movie. We do not know for certain whether Jackman will still play Wolverine moving forward in MCU (though one of the meta jokes in the movie, Disney will force him to be Wolverine until he is 90). He might not, but we do not know for sure. At one point, Hunter B-15 does say something to the effect of the TVA being thankful to Deadpool and Wolverine and may require their services in the future.
It may be that Cavill’s brief appearance in the role may augur his being cast in the role, but I am not counting on that. It was simply a nod to the fans, who have been trying to cast the actor in the role after Jackman said Logan (2017) was his swan song in the role. We all know how that turned out. Cavill was removed from the role of Superman after James Gunn assumed command of the creative side of DCU (David Corenswet being the new Superman), so he is available. So there’s that.
Also, Deadpool is likely a mainstay of the MCU now. Despite his fourth-wall-breaking style getting old, millions love him in the role (every single thing he said or did, whether funny or not, was greeted with reverent laughter). He may not join the Avengers, where honestly he doesn’t fit, but he may play a part later on in the upcoming movies, including the X-Men movie we know we will get one day.
Does Deadpool & Wolverine have any mid- or post-credit scenes?
Yes, there is a mid-credits scene in Deadpool & Wolverine, but is a callback to an earlier scene in the movie and teases or promises nothing about the MCU’s future. Johnny Storm was killed by Cassandra Nova, seemingly because Deadpool said he uttered some nasty things about her. Storm denied the accusations, but Nova flicked a finger and killed him anyway (more like, melted his flesh in a grisly way until only bones remained) instantly.
In the mid-credits scene, Deadpool shows off a tape to set the record straight. It turns out that Storm did really say those things. The scene is clearly a nod to Evans’ Captain America role, in which he refrains from using cuss words and stops others from uttering them in his presence.
Deadpool & Wolverine brief review
Had it been released five years ago, I would have praised this movie to no end. But the Avengers or superhero fatigue that James Cameron and Martin Scorsese talked about has finally caught up with me. It is not that I abhor comic-book movies in general, just the Marvel formula where the actual story and characters are secondary and priority is given to cameos and special appearances. This tendency has worsened with the multiverse concept as now old actors can make a comeback.
We know there are ways to do it that are innovative and creative (like in Spider-Verse movies and Michelle Yeoh-starrer Everything Everywhere All at Once). But MCU’s approach relies more on nostalgia-mining and spectacle. A more honest title of the movie would be something like Deadpool & Wolverine: A Parade of Familiar Faces and Other Superficial Thrills. When the biggest draw of your movie is who shows up for a surprise, perhaps it is time to reconsider your approach to filmmaking.
Deadpool calls himself a one-trick pony at one point and this could not be more true for Ryan Reynolds, who has relied on the same schtick again and again. It’s all endless use of self-referential quips to the point that as soon as the movie begins to display a hint of genuine emotion, the constant barrage of sarcastic remarks and meta-commentary rear their heads to undermine it. It is impossible for me to take a movie like this seriously even when it wishes to.
Hugh Jackman, Matthew Macfayden and Emma Corrin save the movie… somewhat
Hugh Jackman is one of the few good things about the movie. He gives a committed performance in a movie that needs it but doesn’t deserve it. I also adored the performance of two Brits in the movie. Matthew Macfadyen, otherwise known for playing Tom Wambsgans in HBO’s Succession, appears to be basically reprising Tom, complete with unexpected freak-outs. More British Tom Wambsgans is what this movie really needed.
Emma Corrin, who played a young Princess Diana in Netflix’s The Crown, also does her best with the one-note villain she is saddled with. But Deadpool & Wolverine is living proof that even great actors can struggle to shine amidst a sea of nostalgia and recycled gags.
(Hero and Featured image: Courtesy of IMDb)
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'Deadpool & Wolverine' released worldwide on 26 July 2024.
'Deadpool & Wolverine' is rated R for intense violence and foul language throughout.
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
