Deadpool And Wolverine Won’t Save Marvel, Even If It Makes Billions
The upcoming Deadpool and Wolverine will bring two popular characters from outside of the MCU into the mega-franchise later this year and is likely to be a smash hit. The movie has the potential to be a massive box-office hit and some might see that as the return of the MCU’s domination. But even if Deadpool and Wolverine is a massive success it’s not going to save the MCU from the host of problems it’s facing.
Deadpool And Wolverine’s R-Rating Is The Exception
Much is being made of Deadpool and Wolverine being the first R-rated MCU movie, but there’s no guarantee that it will usher in a new age of more mature Marvel movies. While it’s interesting to see the established franchise doing something new, it’s unlikely for the MCU to completely change course, and the majority of their movies, which are meant to bring in the latest possible audience will probably remain PG-13. While the occasional character warrants an R-rating the vast majority of Marvel characters are meant to appeal to all ages, so don’t expect Disney to start pushing out mature content regularly.
How Big Is The X-Men Franchise?
The other factor that makes Deadpool and Wolverine unlikely to revitalize the MCU, even if it is a smash hit, is that it has two fan bases separate from the MCU. The Deadpool movies and the X-Men movies featuring Wolverine come from before Disney acquired Fox and existed as independent franchises with their own fan bases that don’t necessarily cross over with MCU fandom. In short, fans who wouldn’t normally see an MCU might make an exception for Deadpool and Wolverine but there’s no guarantee these fans will be converted to the larger MCU.
Audiences Are Rejecting The Multiverse
Deadpool and Wolverine being based on film franchises outside the MCU also means that it lacks a certain degree of integration into the larger Marvel universe. While the plot revolves around bringing the characters into the Marvel universe, for many fans the appeal of the MCU is that it’s one large interconnected story, and Deadpool and Wolverine exist outside of that story. This makes it easier for fans coming into the movie from outside of the MCU to treat it as a stand-alone story, which makes it less likely they’ll buy into the MCU as a whole.
Ryan Reynolds And Hugh Jackman Eclipse The MCU
Another contributing factor is that the immense popularity of both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman could bring viewers in who have no interest in seeing other movies that don’t include those actors. Part of the appeal of Deadpool and Wolverine is that it brings the two beloved actors together in their most popular roles for the first time. Unfortunately for Marvel, the people who are going to Deadpool and Wolverine for that specific dynamic aren’t going to be interested in their other projects.
Marvel Is Facing Too Many Problems For One Movie To Fix
The biggest reason Deadpool and Wolverine can’t revitalize the MCU is that the MCU is facing numerous, deep-seated problems that need to be addressed directly and consistently. The MCU has to contend with “Marvel fatigue”, inconsistent visual effects, Jonathan Majors’ legal problems, and the changing tastes of audiences. No single movie can solve those problems for an entire franchise, especially not one that’s disconnected from the rest of the franchise in so many ways.
