Fans are eagerly flocking to theaters for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but critics are divided. Reviews for “Deadpool & Wolverine” started pouring in quickly ahead of its wide release date. While most reviews highlight a strong performance for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) only big-screen release for 2024, the movie’s critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t quite reach the heights of the two preceding films.
Critic Ratings and Comparisons
In the days leading up to its release, “Deadpool & Wolverine” hovered around an 80% critic rating. While there’s still time for that to change, it falls slightly short of the 85% and 84% scores that 2016’s “Deadpool” and 2018’s “Deadpool 2” have settled into.
Something close to 80% isn’t bad at all, but considering the hype around the movie, it’s probably a little lower than expected. After all, “Deadpool & Wolverine” marks the MCU debuts of Deadpool and Wolverine. Its R-rating is both a welcome sight for longtime fans of the “Deadpool” films and a breath of fresh air for a franchise that has long stayed family-friendly for Disney.
Audience Reception
Time will tell if “Deadpool & Wolverine” makes up for the comparatively lukewarm box-office figures generated by recent projects like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Marvels.” While critics have praised the film, some have pointed out that it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Early Reviews
A look at some of the prominent early reviews for “Deadpool & Wolverine” paints a picture of a film that could be the shot in the arm the MCU has needed for some time. One critic wrote on X, the movie is:
“A wildly entertaining crowd-pleaser full of humor and heart, and a glorious return to form for the MCU that builds on the Marvel legacy while breaking new ground. It’s the must-see blockbuster of the summer.”
The Daily Beast shared similar thoughts, suggesting “Deadpool & Wolverine” might reenergize the MCU, while acknowledging it might not appeal to those not up to speed on Marvel lore or those who dislike Deadpool’s irreverent humor.
Fan Service and Criticisms
Indeed, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is packed with fan service for longtime MCU fans and includes numerous snappy pop culture references and inside jokes. However, not all reviews were positive. In a two-star review for the Los Angeles Times, Katie Walsh wrote that the film doesn’t offer much substance or depth due to its focus on Marvel fan service and internet culture, and she felt there was a lack of plot and thin characterization. She said:
“While it will likely amuse its target audience of geeks and the terminally online, ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is a whole lot of hot air and not much else.”
Box Office Projections
Despite being on track to score a lower rating than its predecessors and concerns about excessive fan service, “Deadpool & Wolverine” still looks poised to become a huge summer hit. Forecasts suggest that the movie could make between $160 million to $170 million from North American theaters in its first weekend. This would allow it to surpass “Inside Out 2” as the most lucrative debut of 2024 so far and achieve the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated film, beating out the original “Deadpool.”
An opening weekend that big would also allow “Deadpool & Wolverine” to nearly double the domestic earnings of the MCU’s last movie release, “The Marvels,” which bombed spectacularly at the box office.
