Deadpool and Wolverine: A Lesson in Careful Fan Service

By Will McGraw

Keeping the fans happy is no easy task for any long standing franchise, especially Marvel Studios. Translating over 80 years of comic book characters and storylines to the big screen is a tall order. The MCU may be the paramount example of the need to balance original content, source material, and marketability.

Critics’ reviews of 2024’s Deadpool and Wolverine were somewhat mixed. Some did not appreciate Reynolds’ rapid fire of irreverent jokes. Others felt the story lacked a real sense of stakes. Some went as far as to question whether Deadpool and Wolverine even “is a movie.” Yet, the film breached the $1 billion global gross mark within three weeks. Its $205 million opening weekend in U.S. ticket sales was the highest debut of 2024 and largest ever for an R-rated film. It now stands alone as the highest-grossing U.S. R-rated movie ever, surpassing 2019’s Joker.

Maybe the critics are correct about the plot, dialogue, conflict, etc. Maybe they’re not. Regardless, the primary takeaway from the film’s success is this: the filmmakers knew what the fans wanted, so they delivered. As a result, the filmmakers were rewarded.

There’s a reason the movie is not called “Deadpool 3.” There’s no subtitle, no unnecessary complexity. What you see is what you get (plus a little more). A collaborative feature of Reynolds’ and Jackman’s characters has topped fans’ wish lists for decades, so why overcomplicate things now? Fans wanted Deadpool plus Wolverine, so they got Deadpool and Wolverine.

Reynolds’ character acknowledges the long-awaited nature of the feat, directly addressing the “nerds” after stating, “Let’s give the people what they came for.” This mashup of two characters whose A-list actors have become synonymous with their name was a passion project for both stars. Pitting two of Marvel’s fan-favorites in a love-hate, buddy-cop style film is a simple concept, but millions of viewers share the actors’ and filmmakers’ enthusiasm for the collaboration.

Pairing Wolverine and Deadpool is already a service to the fans that has a great sense of finality to it, scratching an itch that has lingered for almost a generation. But the film doesn't stop there. It takes this sensation and runs with it, structuring part of the plot/setting around fans’ longing for characters and stories that could have been but never were– until now.

Deadpool and Wolverine ties up loose ends for a handful of Marvel properties’ more well-known stall-outs, failures, and neglected franchises. Jennifer Garner and Wesley Snipes reprising their roles as Elektra and Blade, respectively, was a sight many fans had called for for years but never thought they’d see. A laundry list of reasons exists as to why these two were not smoothly integrated into the MCU. Channing Tatum’s Gambit was a project with a “failure-to-launch” status that has pestered X-Men fans for years. Chris Evans’ portrayal of Fantastic Four's Johnny Storm became somewhat of a joke, or was forgotten, given his iconic portrayal of Captain America.?

Bringing these characters back in any capacity was something that Marvel executives, as well as many fans, almost certainly felt wouldn’t work. Deadpool’s hyper-personal jabs at Tatum’s character perhaps serve to underscore this point. Nonetheless, the makers of the film found a compromise, invoking these four in a universe-friendly way without muddying the waters too much. Plenty of viewers truly did enjoy the wit, dialogue, plot and numerous other aspects of the movie. However, these “We hear you, fans. Here you go,” gestures are at least a strong part of what netted Deadpool and Wolverine a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.?

It’s no secret that the MCU has struggled in its post-Avengers: Endgame era. Even Marvel admits this, with said fact serving as the punchline of one of Deadpool’s self-aware wisecracks. As it stands, Deadpool and Wolverine is the highest grossing MCU movie since the 2019 release, barring 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s worth noting that the latter, like the former, also knew exactly what it was doing in delivering a specific, long-awaited piece of fan service.

Perhaps the critiques of Deadpool and Wolverine’s stylistic elements are valid. Superhero movies are often held to different cinematic standards than more traditional films. That’s beyond the scope of this discussion. The lesson here is that consideration of what the fans (nerds, even) truly want rather than solely what garners praise from entertainment media critics can result in massive success.?

This is not to encourage outright mob rule in creative decision making. Pure pandering can certainly lead to degeneration of both quality and creators’ expressive ability. Rather, filmmakers, especially in the superhero genre, should remember the simple fact that it is fans who want to see their work more than anyone. “They just want to make money” is a common criticism of the powers that be in the entertainment industry, but in this case, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The numbers don’t lie. Thoughtful, properly-structured fan service can drive a film to wild popularity and success that can’t be manufactured any other way.