Yesterday I posted my spoiler-free thoughts about the opening act of Deadpool & Wolverine. Before watching it I was feeling jaded on the whole MCU thing, and didn't really care about this 'gimmick' project. Just over half an hour later, I left the screening with a big smile on my face and the need to watch the entire movie. It gave me genuine hope for the MCU for the first time in a long time.
Now, with Deadpool's blessing (okay, maybe not Deadpool himself but a thumbs-up from Marvel), I can tell you exactly what I saw and why it got me all excited. Yep, I'm going to tell you *all* the most exciting details that I saw in the preview footage. So if you want to know what happens in the first quarter of the movie, then read on past the break. But be warned, it’s full, detailed spoilers for the first 35 minutes of Deadpool & Wolverine from here on.
The following contains full spoilers for the first 35 minutes of Deadpool & Wolverine.
The TVA’s Timeline-Ending Plan
- Deadpool & Wolverine brings characters from the 20th Century Fox Marvel films into the MCU for the first time. Don’t know about the Disney buyout of Fox? Don’t worry, Deadpool explains it all in the film’s opening monologue.
- Deadpool’s arrival in the MCU isn’t just a movie-length joke, though. It’s all explained in-universe, and if you’re up to date on the Loki show, then you’ll likely already know that the Time Variance Authority (TVA) is the organisation responsible for observing and safeguarding the various strands of the multiverse. It’s via the TVA that Deadpool arrives in the MCU.
- Deadpool is summoned to the TVA by Mr. Paradox, played by Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen. Paradox offers Deadpool a chance to live in the Sacred Timeline (Earth 616, the ‘main’ MCU universe) and be among heroes like Captain America and Thor, a hugely attractive opportunity for the merc with a mouth.
- Paradox’s current project is to oversee the end of Deadpool’s timeline, which is withering and dying because it has lost its ‘anchor’ (more on that later). The death of a timeline can take up to thousands of years, though, and Paradox hopes to speed that process up. He has developed the ‘Time Ripper’, a machine that can “mercy kill” timelines.
- By offering a quick death to Deadpool’s original timeline, Paradox hopes to prove himself a gold-tier efficient member of the TVA and rise to become its leader.
Red Deadpool Redemption
- An early scene sees Deadpool use Cable’s time travel watch (remember that gizmo from Deadpool 2?) to travel back to circa 2018 and visit the Avengers Campus. He asks to join the team, an act he hopes will make him a “someone” and impress his estranged girlfriend Vanessa. His request is declined because becoming an Avenger is about public service rather than personal gain.
- In the present day, Wade Wilson has given up the Deadpool persona and now works as a car salesman alongside Rob Delaney’s Peter.
- At a surprise birthday party, Wilson is joined by his cab driver Dopinder, landlady Blind Al, Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Yukio, and Buck. Vanessa is also there, and reveals she has a new boyfriend called Dermot (he likes hiking).
The Death of the Fox Universe?
- The Fox Universe, officially designated as Earth-10005 in the film, is fading away because its anchor has died. An anchor is a person of vital importance to a timeline, and when Wolverine died in 2017’s Logan it triggered the beginning of the end for the timeline.
- Deadpool is from that very timeline, confirming that Logan and Deadpool are part of the same universe. Earth-10005 is the official designation of the “Original X-Men Cinematic Universe”, so it sure seems like almost everything Fox is fading away.
- While Deadpool is thrilled to be invited to be part of the MCU’s Sacred Timeline (he happily accepts a new suit from the TVA’s tailor), he’s reluctant to allow his loved ones to fade into nothingness. It would mean the death of Vanessa, his one true love, as well as his friends. And so Deadpool comes up with a plan: find a replacement Wolverine and save his timeline.
Wolverine, Wolverine, Wolverines
- Using stolen TVA timeline-hopping technology, Deadpool searches across the multiverse for a Wolverine.
- His first stop is Wolverine’s final resting place from the end of 2017’s Logan. Deadpool’s convinced Wolverine didn’t die because that’s not what happens when you have regenerative healing powers, but he’s proved wrong when he finds nothing but an adamantium skeleton and some rotted flesh. His theory proven wrong, he visits a number of other timelines and discovers:
- A Wolverine of comic-accurate height (5 foot 3 inches). As with all the variants, he’s still played by Hugh Jackman, but he’s been shrunk down using CGI to hilarious effect.
- Patch, Wolverine’s gambler alter-ego who wears a white tux with an eyepatch. (Sorry guys, he's not played by Daniel Radcliffe, despite fan rumors.)
- A miserable, old, grey-haired Wolverine wearing a hat and sitting out on a porch. He’s pretty similar to the Clint Eastwood-like depiction of the character in Mark Millar's celebrated Old Man Logan comic.
- A Wolverine being crucified on a giant X. This is a reference to a Chris Claremont story from 1989 where Logan is tortured by anti-mutant cyborgs in Australia.
- A Wolverine in his original brown and tan costume, literally about to fight the Hulk as he did in his first-ever comic appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181.
- A Wolverine sporting incredible glam rock-like hair and a black wrestler-style costume, which reminded me a lot of X-Men’s ‘90s-style comic art.
- An utterly wasted Wolverine, drunk on whiskey, found in a bar. The scene is reminiscent of scenes from X-Men, X-Men First Class, and the trailer for Insomniac’s PS5 game. When Deadpool discovers this variant wears the classic yellow-and-blue costume underneath his civilian clothes, he decides this is the Wolverine to bring back to the TVA.
- Unfortunately for Deadpool, Paradox reveals that this Wolverine is an unworthy replacement for the Logan who sacrificed himself in the Fox timeline. Instead, this Wolverine is a failure who let down his entire timeline and turned to booze to drown his sorrows.
An MCU in Crisis and Other Jokes
- When introducing drunk Wolverine to the new timeline, Deadpool says “Welcome to the MCU, you’re joining at a bit of a low point.” It’s a great gag that directly addresses the ongoing fan conversation about the quality of Marvel movies post-Avengers Endgame.
- In a new trailer that followed the preview, Deadpool also makes a joke about how things have been “miss after miss” since the multiverse stuff kicked off. In response, a Deadpool variant says “I think it’s been steadily great since Endgame.” It seems like Deadpool & Wolverine will definitely make several jokes about the perceived quality of the MCU as a whole.
- If you thought that the first Disney-led Deadpool project would be toned down, then have no fear: when the TVA first turn up to capture Deadpool and bring him to Mr. Paradox, they interrupt his birthday party. Deadpool mistakes the uniform-clad TVA squad for strippers and makes an incredibly non-PG pegging joke about their stun batons.
- When first being introduced to the Sacred Timeline, Deadpool is shown clips from previous MCU films to showcase the heroes he’ll be working alongside. One of these clips is taken from Thor: The Dark World, but manipulated to show Thor crying over the mangled body of Deadpool. The merc is, understandably, quite confused.
Gleeful Violence
- After Deadpool discovers Logan’s remains, a TVA squad turns up to arrest him and bring him back to Paradox. Refusing to submit, Deadpool massacres the entire team using Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton as weapons (his leg is wielded like nunchucks at one point, and his ribs used as throwing knives.) This whole fight is choreographed to "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC.
- After realising that Deadpool is going to be a hindrance to his work in ending the Fox timeline, Paradox sends both Deadpool and Wolverine to the “trash heap,” a Mad Max-like desert full of waste, including a giant 20th Century Fox logo. Angered by being pulled into this crazy situation, Wolverine pops his claws and prepares to fight a bloody battle. This was, of course, the final scene of the preview footage. We’ll need to watch the full film to see how that battle goes (although the shots from the trailer certainly suggest a very bloody, very funny fight.)
Cameos and Easter Eggs
- During Deadpool’s trip to Avengers Campus he meets with Happy Hogan, played once again by Jon Favreau.
- In the new trailer screened to press, a version of the Juggernaut could be spotted. He’s wearing a costume very similar to the one used in X-Men: The Last Stand, but it seems a little smaller. I couldn’t tell if it was Vinnie Jones in the suit, but the actor has previously said he’s not in the film.
- The same trailer showcases an army of Deadpool variants, including Lady Deadpool, the canine Dogpool, a floating skull in a Deadpool mask (perhaps a reference to Marvel Zombies?) and a version that’s just Ryan Reynolds without the scarring, very long hair, and a costume made of shiny red plastic.
And those are all the coolest, most spoilery details we can share from the first 35 minutes of Deadpool & Wolverine. Does this get you excited for the next stage of the MCU? Let us know your thoughts and predictions for the movie in the comments.
Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.
