First Deadpool & Wolverine Reactions Say The MCU Is Back (Or Just Sigh Deeply)

When early footage reactions to Shawn Levy's highly-anticipated "Deadpool & Wolverine" dropped on Twitter (or X, if you will) a few weeks back, the consensus was overwhelmingly positive. The limited pool of critics and audiences privy to the 35-minute sneak peek praised the film's irreverent humor while expressing hope for the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe flick. Well, it seems like we have to wait no longer, as the first reactions to the Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds-led superhero film, which had its world premiere last night, are finally here. While most of the reactions are enthusiastic and effusive, some express a sense of disappointment while praising the performances delivered by the central duo.

The finer details of "Deadpool & Wolverine" are under wraps for good reason, as the film is set to grace theaters this Friday, but the involvement of the Time Variance Authority (or TVA, as introduced in the "Loki" TV series), leads Deadpool and Wolverine to team up in an effort to save Deadpool's universe. As emblematic of the violent, fast-paced world that the titular superheroes reside in, shenanigans ensue, as Wolverine proves to be reluctant to intervene, but is swept off by the urgency of the existential threats that unfold. The events of "Deadpool & Wolverine" take place six years after that of "Deadpool 2," which paves the path for droves of fun cameos, some of which were revealed in an official trailer released last week.

Without further ado, let's dive headfirst into the early reactions to the film on X/Twitter in order to try and understand what Phase 5 of the MCU entails and what kind of trajectory it could weave for the near future.

/Film's very own Chris Evangelista praised Hugh Jackman's performance in a tweet, but expressed disappointment over subpar filmmaking and the inability of the MCU brand of humor to stick a landing every time. "Hugh Jackman is doing really good work here. Too bad the rest of the movie sabotages that at every turn with flat filmmaking and even flatter jokes," he stated while stating that folks will "have fun" experiencing the film nonetheless.

This emphasis on "fun" was reiterated by /Film's BJ Colangelo, who praised every performance as "funny and hot and heartfelt" while tweeting the following: "Hooooly sh*t #DeadpoolAndWolverine is the kick in the taint the MCU needed. NOW THIS IS A SUPERHERO MOVIE!!! Everyone is funny and hot and heartfelt and you'll scream 'OH MY GOD, HELL YEAH!!' at least three times."

Critics have also praised the quality and depth of the cameos while underlining the entertainment aspect of the superhero flick. Inverse's Jacob Kleinman stated that "Marvel really dug deep" by surpassing expectations surrounding these cameos, but criticized the action sequences and the film's drab color grading: "Now for the bad news: Shawn Levy is not good at directing action sequences and visually this movie looks very washed out. It's like Loki meets Mad Max, but with all the color and style drained out of it." However, Kleinman maintained that "the franchise is now 3 for 3" for making outrageously fun superhero cinema. 

Of course, not everyone enjoyed the film. Robert Daniels, a critic and associate editor at RogerEbert.com, simply called it "one of the worst made movies of the year," while critic Jeff Nelson described it as "an overall pretty unfunny, grating film" while expressing appreciation for Jackman's Wolverine, whose return has received an outpouring of love.

Next Best Picture's Matt Neglia went into detail to explain why "Deadpool & Wolverine" is "the shot in the arm the MCU so desperately needed," praising the film's unabashed approach to its subject matter and the heartfelt homage it pays to "the Fox era's legacy." Although Neglia acknowledges that the messiness of the narrative stems from "its convoluted multiverse plot," the end result is exciting and worth the wait, creating a sense of anticipation for the franchise rarely rivaled before.

The Mary Sue associate editor Rachel Leishman echoed a similar sentiment, stating that the film "is a beautiful sexy beast, funny as sh*t, and hot." Critic Michael Lee also praised the "overboard" nature of the cameos, while calling the film a "deliciously self-deprecating, ruthlessly violent, absolutely hilarious buddy road-trip action comedy with a sick soundtrack."

But wait, there's more! Critic and editor Lyra Hale urged audiences to "go in blind" to make the best out of the superhero experience, calling it "Marvel's f***ing love letter to comics and the characters in it, from start to finish!" while affirming that it is "an absolute blast." The term "love letter" has cropped up a few times in these early reactions: Collider's Ross Bonaime tweeted that Levy's film is a "true love letter to the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel and such a weird, bloody, surprising delight," as it allows a complex, interesting character like Deadpool to play in a bigger sandbox.

To wrap things up, Fandango's Erik Davis shared that "the cameos and surprises are epic," and that the "respect and love for the characters" shine brighter than the brash humor and thrilling fights, calling it "the ultimate" Deadpool and Wolverine film.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" will be released in theaters on July 26, 2024.