10 Biggest Positives From Deadpool & Wolverine"s Major Success Marvel Can"t Ignore

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The major success of Deadpool & Wolverine establishes several positives that Marvel cannot ignore as they continue to expand the MCU. 2024 saw Deadpool make his official debut in the MCU’s movie timeline, crossing over into Marvel’s flagship franchise after initially appearing among Fox’s X-Men movies. Alongside Deadpool, Wolverine made his triumphant return to the big screen, with Hugh Jackman reprising the role alongside Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool.
The success of Deadpool & Wolverine at the box office is certainly an encouraging sign for the future of the MCU. Introducing new characters and new ideas into the franchise has sometimes proven risky, but Deadpool & Wolverine’s success shows that innovation could well be the key to securing continued box office domination for the MCU. With that in mind, here are 10 positives from Deadpool & Wolverine’s major success that Marvel cannot ignore.
10 Deadpool Is Now The Second Highest Grossing MCU Character Only One MCU Character Has Earned More Than Deadpool Close The overwhelming success of Deadpool & Wolverine proved to be great news not just for Marvel, but for the titular Merc, too. With the movie’s box office take, Deadpool is now the MCU’s second highest-grossing character, after Spider-Man. The fact that Deadpool’s movie appearances have earned so much money is a clear indication to Marvel that his popularity should not be ignored or underestimated.
Deadpool’s future in the MCU certainly appears to be safe, but it would be wise for Marvel to keep the character in their plans moving forward. Considering the massive success of Ryan Reynolds’ take on the anti-hero, ensuring that Deadpool remains present in the movies of the MCU after his introduction seems vital. If the key to success is delivering fans’ what they want, it would seem that Marvel must keep Deadpool in mind as part of the franchise’s overall narrative.
9 Multiverse Cameos Aren't Growing Stale Variant Cameos Are Proving Consistently Popular Close Bringing the titular characters into the MCU via the Multiverse meant that there were many cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine. Many of the most prominent featured actors reprising roles from previous Marvel movie franchises, with the Human Torch, Blade, Elektra, and various X-Men returning after lengthy absences from the big screen. Many other cameos were also featured in the movie, with iterations of different Marvel characters appearing in minor roles.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s success proves that the MCU’s Multiverse cameos have yet to grow stale. In fact, the cameos of past screen heroes tapped into a nostalgic element for audiences, and proved to be one of the most talked-about aspects of the movie. Marvel should learn from this that such cameos - like the huge the movie"s many Deadpool variants - can work brilliantly when executed carefully, and that the endless possibilities of the Multiverse afford many opportunities for fan service.
8 There's Still Lots Of Veteran Characters Who Could Return There Are Many Existing Non-MCU Heroes Who Could Appear Close The cast of Deadpool & Wolverine saw many long-forgotten Marvel heroes make their Multiversal return, and it was one of the movie’s most popular aspects. Seeing previous iterations of movie heroes reprise their roles was great, offering redemption to some of Marvel’s missteps in the years before the MCU. However, Deadpool & Wolverine’s list of returning heroes was far from exhaustive.
There are many Marvel movie heroes who could yet make a return. The likes of Ben Affleck’s Daredevil, Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider, and Eric Bana’s Hulk would all be prime contenders, as would practically any of the cast of Fox’s X-Men movies. Marvel’s movie past is unfortunately packed with underwhelming iterations of popular heroes, but this could easily be turned to Marvel’s advantage should they learn from one of Deadpool & Wolverine’s greatest successes in its handling of such characters.
7 The MCU Can Explore Riskier Comedic Avenues Breaking The MCU's Comedic Formula Can Work Close Deadpool has long been one of Marvel’s funniest movie heroes, and Deadpool & Wolverine’s best Deadpool quotes show that he’s as outrageously hilarious as ever. The movie featured many excellent moments of humor, with many being of a far less savory tone than that of previous MCU movies. Though the franchise has long since established a specific approach to levity, Deadpool & Wolverine definitively proved that audiences will respond to other types of humor.
The MCU’s comedic formula might once have seemed brilliant, but its efficacy has waned in recent years. However, Deadpool & Wolverine’s more mature approach shows that not just adult humor has a place in the MCU, but other types, too. Taking new approaches to comedy might seem somewhat risky, but Deadpool & Wolverine showed that the results it can yield are more than worth it.
6 Recasting Robert Downey Jr Has A Successful Parallel Deadpool & Wolverine's Human Torch Return Is An Encouraging Sign Close Ahead of the character’s involvement in upcoming movies, the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would play the MCU’s Doctor Doom was met with mixed reactions. Some of the most valid concerns surround whether the actor will be able to emerge from the shadow of his previous character from the Infinity Saga. However, Deadpool & Wolverine set an encouraging precedent for Downey’s MCU return.
In what became an instant fan-favorite moment, Chris Evans returned to the MCU as Johnny Storm, who he last played in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Having previously portrayed the iconic Captain America in the MCU, Evans’ return in an alternate role established that MCU actors reappearing can work if handled correctly. The success of Deadpool & Wolverine’s Human Torch is a great sign for the MCU’s future, and one that Marvel should keep in mind when introducing Doom.
5 R Ratings Can Still Be Box Office Proof Not All Superhero Movies Need Younger Audiences Close Deadpool & Wolverine marked a number of firsts for the MCU, but it was notably the franchise’s first R-rated movie. Its visceral violence and extensive use of profanity saw it dubbed unsuitable for younger audiences, which was entirely necessary in order to accurately bring Deadpool to life on the big screen. The film’s box office success should also give Marvel a clear indication of how they can attempt similar projects in the future.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s R-rated action and humor opens the door for many other more mature entries into the MCU. The movie’s box office take indicates that Marvel isn’t as reliant on a young audience as many believed, and that the MCU can give other heroes R-rated movies, too. The supposed risk taken by making Deadpool & Wolverine R-rated paid off massively, and it has offered up an important point of reference to Marvel in the process.
4 The Gambit Effect Gambit's MCU Debut Was A Resounding Success Close One of the movie’s most successful cameos was that of Channing Tatum as Gambit, as it paid off an incredibly long wait to see the actor in the role. Paying homage to the actor’s solo Gambit movie that was announced before slipping into development hell, Tatum’s Gambit was perhaps Deadpool & Wolverine’s breakout star. Despite very little screentime, Gambit dominated many of the conversations surrounding the movie for all the right reasons.
Offering redemption to Tatum’s previously unseen version of Gambit was more than fan service, as it righted one of Marvel’s greatest wrongs. The effect that doing so has on fans cannot be understated, and Gambit’s appearance sets an interesting precedent in the MCU. Particularly as the Multiverse Saga continues, it’s possible that Marvel will employ similar tactics in the near future, even potentially bringing Channing Tatum"s Gambit back in the MCU.
3 The Greater Appetite For Old Man Blade The Response To Wesley Snipes' Blade Return Is An Interesting Development Close Wesley Snipes’ Blade was one of the more unexpected appearances in Deadpool & Wolverine, particularly after the reports surrounding the actor’s last outing in the role. 2004’s Blade: Trinity was reportedly a turbulent production due to Snipes’ behavior, but his return to the role of Marvel’s Daywalker proved to be one of Deadpool & Wolverine’s most cathartic. Seeing Snipes return as Blade was an unexpectedly popular development, creating considerable excitement around the older version of the character.
As the MCU’s planned Blade movie has been delayed many times, seeing Wesley Snipes’ take on the character appear was an interesting development. As the response was so positive, there are many lessons that Marvel could learn from the reaction to Snipes’ return. Whether they will opt to bring him back again or employ similar tactics with other characters, the popularity of this Blade is something Marvel should definitely take note of.
2 Integrating Existing Franchises Into The MCU Can Work Deadpool & Wolverine Blurred The Lines Between Marvel Franchises In The Best Way Close Until recently, the lines between other Marvel franchises and the MCU seemed well-defined. Deadpool & Wolverine blurred them, bringing two characters from Fox’s X-Men franchise into the MCU proper, one of which being the original variant. Establishing how bringing in existing characters from other franchises can work is something that has subtly reshaped the possibilities for the MCU’s future, particularly where it pertains to the debuts of several characters in the franchise.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s story established that characters being transferred from one franchise to another can work with a Multiverse narrative. This effectively allows the MCU to pick and choose which actors to recast, and which they would rather keep the same as previous appearances. Breaking down the barriers between franchises via the Multiverse might have started with No Way Home, but Deadpool & Wolverine’s more permanent approach has already proven to be hugely successful.
1 Secret Wars Could Be Even Bigger Now The MCU Has Just Unlocked A Wealth Of Secret Wars Opportunities

The Multiverse Saga has already been announced to be building towards a finale titled Avengers: Secret Wars, which will almost certainly follow the comic book story of the same name in some capacity. As the comic book narrative follows Multiversal variants of many Marvel characters brought together, it would appear that Deadpool & Wolverine has helped unlock many new avenues for the upcoming Avengers movie. Additionally, the movie also outlined an excellent template for doing so.
Deadpool & Wolverine opened the Multiverse to the prospect of past iterations of Marvel movie characters, popular fan-casts, and entirely new versions all appearing alongside one another. The Multiversal variants introduced in Deadpool & Wolverine proved far more popular than those of comparable movies, such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Learning from the approach taken by Deadpool & Wolverine will provide Marvel with the template for achieving similar success with Avengers: Secret Wars.

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299 9.1/10 Deadpool & Wolverine
Director Shawn Levy Release Date July 26, 2024 Upcoming MCU Movies