Ah, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Beloved by millions, and a baffling structure of seemingly endless movies and assorted other media to millions more. We’re used to seeing a Marvel movie every few months, but 2024 is the first year since 2012 (excluding 2020, in which cinemas were largely shut down) that we’re getting just one new entry in the MCU’s filmography. But it’s a big one: Deadpool & Wolverine.
Now, any film in the MCU comes with baggage. Deadpool & Wolverine is part of the so-called Phase 5, and it’s the 34th film in the MCU. The films’ plots are notoriously complicated for the uninitiated, but the densely woven-in references and interconnecting story lines and characters are a vital part of the MCU’s charm.
Thankfully, you don’t need to watch all 33 other MCU films to understand what’s going on in Deadpool & Wolverine. The characters of Deadpool and the X-Men were owned by 20th Century Fox, so the new film references more elements from Fox’s pre-Disney-merger movies than the ones in the MCU. (To briefly recap: In the ’90s, Marvel sold movie rights to its characters piecemeal in an attempt to inject some cash into its flailing comics business. Hence, we get a new Sony movie scraping the barrel of Spider-Man characters every few years.)
That’s why Deadpool & Wolverine is such a big deal: It’s the first time we’re seeing major Marvel characters like Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in the MCU. If you haven’t been keeping up with Marvel’s Phase 5 and are wondering how you’re supposed to understand what the heck is going on in Deadpool & Wolverine, have no fear. We’ve put together this syllabus so you know exactly what you need to watch before diving into the summer’s biggest movie (that doesn’t feature Minions or tornadoes).
Essential Viewing
➼ Deadpool (2016) & Deadpool 2 (2018)
While Deadpool & Wolverine seems like an entirely new thing, as it is the franchise’s first foray into the MCU proper, it’s a threequel. The first Deadpool sets things in motion, providing a background into Wade Wilson (a.k.a. Deadpool), the loudmouthed, wisecracking mercenary with a heart of … well, maybe not gold. These films are tonally distinct from the rest of the MCU, featuring a heavy dose of swearing, gore, self-referential humor, and consistent fourth-wall breaking.
Deadpool 2 is particularly vital, as it introduces the time-travel element that plays a significant role in Deadpool & Wolverine as well as a few important characters that stick around in the new film. An important note: Don’t skip the credits, as the mid-credits scene sets up an important detail about time traveling that remains a key part of Deadpool & Wolverine.
➼ Logan (2017)
Now it’s time for Wolverine, a.k.a. James “Logan” Howlett. A major member of the X-Men, Logan has been through a hell of a lot over nine (not including cameos) different X-Men films. For our purposes, the most essential is Logan, which is heavily referenced throughout Deadpool & Wolverine, including clips from the film. It’s also a key text for understanding Logan as we find him here: a weary, ultrapowerful mutant whose regenerating powers mean death is all but impossible. It’s one of the standout superhero movies of recent memory. Director James Mangold keeps the focus on character while still allowing for some exceptionally gritty and memorable fight sequences.
Recommended Viewing
➼ Loki (2021–2023)
The main plot in Deadpool & Wolverine homes in on the TVA, the Time Variance Authority. It’s a bureaucracy that exists to preserve something called the “sacred timeline” and is also responsible for managing alternative timelines. It’s a lot. There’s a hearty amount of exposition in Deadpool & Wolverine to explain the purpose of the TVA, but if you want to get the intricacies of the organization and time-travel mechanics, your best bet is watching the Disney+ series Loki, which follows the titular trickster (Tom Hiddleston) as he works with the TVA to help fix the sacred timeline. And if you make time for just one episode, make it season one, episode five, “Journey Into Mystery,” which gets a specific shout-out for good reason.
➼ X-Men (2000) & X2 (2003)
The Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine is haunted by his past with the X-Men, and if you don’t know their whole deal, there’s no better way to find out than by watching both X-Men and X2. The films are a brilliant introduction to a group of mutants cast out by society because they have superpowers, of which Wolverine is a member. While by no means essential to understanding Deadpool & Wolverine, the films help contextualize Wolverine, and both X-Men and X2 are brilliant, filled with great characterizations, potent political metaphors, and dynamite action sequences. If you’re newer to the superhero movie, there are few better places to start. They’re part of a trilogy, but X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) is a considerable step down in quality.
If you want to dive into Logan’s history, you could also watch X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), but take it from someone who excitedly attended a midnight screening of the film back in ’09 — you’re best off watching good X-Men movies!
Further Viewing
➼ Doctor Strange (2016)
If you’ve left Deadpool & Wolverine curious about the multiverse — which is part of a fairly elaborate gag in the film — then your best place to start is Doctor Strange. It serves as a useful and well-cast (Benedict Cumberbatch! Rachel McAdams! Tilda Swinton!) primer to the complicated and robust world of the multiverse. While it can be somewhat confounding, there are some striking and creative visual effects to get you onboard, and you’ll practically be a master of all things multiverse when you’re through.
➼Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)
If you loved Deadpool & Wolverine and were especially impressed by its meta-humor, then Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is a perfect follow-up. It has absolutely nothing to do with the MCU and is actually part of rival DC. But the film is a giddy animated treat for the whole family (unlike D&W, which is the least appropriate MCU entry by a considerable distance). Released the same year as Deadpool 2, Teen Titans is funnier, bolder, and a better satire of superhero culture. It features plenty of the wink-wink, nudge-nudge humor that fuels the Deadpool franchise and ends with perhaps the single finest fourth-wall break you could imagine.
Further Viewing (Spoilers Version)
Deadpool & Wolverine has a few cameos from other denizens of the extended Marvel canon that have been exiled from the MCU until now. The following movies are where you can learn more about these new old friends. Spoilers ahead, so stop reading if you want to go into Deadpool & Wolverine with a clean slate. You’ve been warned! Here we go:
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No, really, spoilers are coming.
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Okay, final warning!
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➼ Jennifer Garner as Elektra: Daredevil (2003), Elektra (2005)
➼ Wesley Snipes as Blade: Blade (1998), Blade 2 (2002), Blade: Trinity (2004)
➼ Chris Evans as The Human Torch: Fantastic Four (2004), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
➼ Channing Tatum as Gambit: X-Men The Animated Series (1992-1997), X-Men ‘97 (2024)
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