Summary
Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 20th Century Fox sought to bring some of Marvel Comics' most iconic heroes to life on the big screen with the X-Men and Fantastic Four. While the studio’s offerings were typically seen as unfavorable, there were a few films that truly stood out, including 2015’sDeadpool. Despite this,Deadpool & Wolverinedid something many didn’t expect.
The film, which marks Marvel Studios' first film starring the Merc with a Mouth, was expected to feature plenty of cameos from other Fox heroes. Most expected the cameos would merely poke fun at the Fox projects, tearing them down for the sake of entertainment. Instead,Deadpool & Wolverinemanaged to serve as a love letter to everything that came before it, celebrating the Fox universe and everything it accomplished over the years.
The Past is Important to Deadpool’s Success
In 1998, New Line released the first live-actionBlademovie starring Wesley Snipes in the titular role. The film, which was rated R, continues to be hailed as one of the best comic book adaptations to this day - even though the subsequent sequels never quite reached the same heights. At the time, rights to some of Marvel Comics' biggest characters were spread among multiple studios. Sony had the rights to Spider-Man, while Fox had the rights to theFantastic Fourand theX-Men. So, it wasn’t entirely surprising that following the success ofBlade, Fox moved forward with bringing theX-Mento life on the big screen. The film markedHugh Jackman’s first appearanceas Wolverine, alongside a cast that included Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry, and James Marsden. The film was a moderate success, taking in $296 million at the worldwide box office, and launched a franchise for Fox. The studio would go on to release two more films in the trilogy,X-2: X-Men UnitedandX-Men: The Last Stand, which both surpassed $400 million worldwide. While the quality of the films failed to remain consistent, Fox continued to develop more projects, includingX-Men Origins: Wolverine, which saw Ryan Reynolds make his debut as Wade Wilson. The franchise continued to grow withThe Wolverine, a secondX-Mentrilogy that began withX-Men: First Class, andthe critically acclaimedLogan. Unfortunately, while Fox found success with theX-Men, the studio struggled with Marvel’s first family following two failed attempts at a franchise. Fox’s journey with Marvel was an often uneven franchise that delivered mixed results, but it was also an important part of what would come after.
Deadpool, which debuted in 2016, only came to fruition because of a leak of test footage that was well-received from fans across social media. At the time, the movie was considered a risk as it was anR-rated movie. However, it quickly became a huge success for Fox and saw the studio greenlight the sequel, which came out two years later. It seemed inevitable that a third film would happen, as box office returns forDeadpool 2were impressive, but then Disney purchased 21st Century Fox - whichhalted any X-Men related projectsfor years. UntilDeadpool & Wolverine.
Why Deadpool & Wolverine’s Love Letter to Fox is Important
When it was announced that Marvel Studios was developingDeadpool 3, fans wondered if the movie would be watered-down or possibly poke fun at Fox. In a surprising move, though,Deadpool & Wolverinetook a completely different turn and decided instead to honor everything leading up to 2016’sDeadpool. Reynolds had a messy journey becoming Wade Wilson, with his first appearance as the Merc with a Mouth showing up at the end ofX-Men Origins: Wolverine. In the film, Wilson had no mouth, and he looked nothing like the Deadpool fans had come to know and love. Despite this, Reynolds continued to push for a return as Deadpool, continuing to campaign for aDeadpoolfilm for years. Thankfully, the leaked test footage eventually got Fox on board and the rest is history. For the actor, it was a long journey that eventually paid off. Without the Fox universe, and Reynolds' involvement, there never would have been aDeadpoolmovie. At least, not the film that fans fell in love with years ago.
Fox’s attempt at making its own Marvel universe on the big screen might’ve been a mess at times, but there were moments of joy. From the talented cast, to the longevity of the franchise, Fox’sX-Menuniverse was still something worth celebrating. There would be no Marvel Cinematic Universe without Fox’s Marvel films. The decision to bring in some of Fox’s past heroes, along with one who never got to see his character come to life on the big screen, was a great move as Deadpool (and some of his friends) make the journey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
