The state of the film industry can’t be described as experiencing a dark era. On the contrary, the conditions are more peculiar. It’s not so much a situation of calamities hitting one after the other, but rather an uncertain wavering between optimism and gloom. Take for instance Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Fall Guy underplaying predictions. It caused an unsettling alarm similar to the tolling of monastery bells. However, cinema found redemption with the success of Inside Out 2, which brought a tentative period of revival.
These unpredictable circumstances also bear weight on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was once perceived as infallible. Over the recent years, it has experienced fluctuating fortunes. While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 soared, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels did not fare as well. Arguably, the Disney-owned franchise is steeling itself for the remaining years of the decade. Barring the exceptional year of 2020, this will be the first time only one Marvel film is released since 2012; back then, The Avengers reigned supreme.
The practice of the franchise is flouted by Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Predominantly, it’s a sequel to two films that, although based on Marvel’s creations, were not officially a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The intricate details may give anyone a brainache. Deadpool, the crude mercenary, and a part of the X-Men universe, was retained by 20th Century Fox when Disney acquired Marvel Studios. Soon enough, Disney bought Fox, making Deadpool and Deadpool 2 officially Disney’s productions. These were more explicit and violent than the usual MCU offerings. Deadpool & Wolverine, with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, is the first film in the series to carry an R-rating in the US, even enticing our less rigid classifiers to impose a 16 certificate.
Canadian filmmaker Shawn Levy, known for his successful projects such as Night at the Museum and Free Guy, seems casual about the intense responsibility of cinema’s revival on his shoulders.
He expresses his surprise and uncertainty when Ryan first proposed to him to direct a third Deadpool sequel. He claims he never thought that was his role, especially as a Marvel fan, highlighting how significant these films are to our lives and world culture. He confesses there was uncertainty when they first started the project, not anticipating the conversations about superhero exhaustion and the destiny of MCU. However, questions surrounding his earnings remain out of scope.
We then shift focus to the remarkable cast members of MCU. The list, surprisingly stretching to actors like Robert Redford, William Hurt, Harrison Ford, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, and Rachel Weisz, continues to grow. The recent addition to the troop is Emma Corrin, a UK-based actor and graduate from St John’s College, Cambridge, famed for her portrayal as Princess Diana in The Crown. Now, she plays the dark Cassandra Nova Xavier, twin sibling to Charles Xavier of X-Men.
Corrin, who identifies as non-binary, seems to be truly enjoying the experience. Drawing a comparison between her Crown role and the MCU project, she acknowledges large budgets on both but exemplifies the novelty in immersing in the digitally curated environments of MCU – effectively becoming a component of an industry within another.
Corrin discusses her initial expectations, particularly the prevalence of green screens, which surprisingly didn’t occur. She credited Ray Chan, their production designer, for designing fantastic and realistic sets. These dynamic sets, comprising elements such as appearing stairs at a push of a button, contributed to the fresh experience. Yet, confessing how different it was due to the magnitude of the project, she hadn’t encountered before.
Corrin, who hails from Tunbridge Wells, started their television career with a feature in an episode of Grantchester, before ultimately scoring a significant part on The Crown in 2020. This role earned them accolades such as a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice award as they stepped into the shoes of the late Princess Diana. They rose to prominence as the first non-binary individual to grace the cover of Vogue magazine. Later this year, they’ll star in Robert Eggers’s much-awaited Nosferatu.
Speaking about their experience acting in Deadpool, Corrin expressed that it was a joyous venture, starkly contrasting from their previous roles. They emphasised their constant pursuit of challenging roles that propel them into unexplored territories. They expressed great pleasure in being part of the ensemble cast in Deadpool, describing the experience as thoroughly enjoyable.
When asked about when it dawned on them that they were an integral part of this prodigious franchise, Corrin confessed their initial anxiety and impostor syndrome. They had no inkling of what to anticipate on their first day.
Meanwhile, the Marvel Comic Universe (MCU) is navigating uncharted waters with Deadpool’s character. Known for its edgy humour and self-deprecating jibes, it’s expected that Deadpool will poke fun at the internal workings of Disney corporation. Particularly, its acquisition of 20th Century Fox is anticipated to become fodder for their jokes, alongside the so-called family values purportedly held by the established corporation. The publicity spin around Deadpool & Wolverine has emphasised its provocative and boundary-pushing nature.
There’s been speculation about whether Marvel president Kevin Feige and the management resisted the inclusion of controversial humour in the script. Did they ever forbid any of the wisecracks due to questionable taste?
Levy expressed his astonishment regarding the amount of artistic freedom they were given during the process. Whenever a new script was submitted laden with nearly 15 potentially problematic jokes, he found that as long as the jokes elicited laughter, they were kept with the full backing of Marvel. This provided far lesser restrictions and limitations than he had anticipated, offering him as much creative liberty as any of his other films.
As they shifted their focus to identifying the main characters of Deadpool and Wolverine, it made it easier to recognise the need for individual character exploration and the conflict, humour and eventual camaraderie that unfolds between them.
Levy also reassures that despite the many speculations of potential spoilers, it can be guaranteed that Wade Wilson, Deadpool’s alter ego, is roused from semi-retirement to combat a common existential threat along with the friendly mutant Wolverine of Jackman’s portrayal. Although many sequels have been proposed since the release of Deadpool 2 in 2018, Levy hints at their earlier ideas of making Deadpool 3 a mutual journey between Deadpool and Logan, styled in the manner of Rashomon, as revealed by Reynolds in a 2021 tweet.
However, there is often as much discussion regarding the corporate side of Marvel as there is about the content, something Levy prefers to understate. He emphasises not basing any narrative off the larger elements, acknowledging that they are indeed part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that Disney’s acquisition of Fox occurred. Nevertheless, the key focus remained on the development of individual characters and their relationships, especially since Hugh Jackman’s introduction in the film. The critical emphasis is on establishing the interaction between two characters forcefully pushed together.
Levy appears to be on a successful streak at the moment.
The film’s guiding light, he remarks, is akin to the Northern star, and all the other elements are comparable to Saturn’s orbiting rings. The protagonist metaphor, he playfully insists, is deserving of extra points. It is the depiction of Wolverine and Deadpool, two atypical heroes who find their salvation in each other, that forms the narrative’s crux.
Regardless of one’s opinion of the Deadpool series, everyone can agree that they exude a unique aura compared to the initial Marvel films. Nevertheless, the franchise has been permitted to deviate from its predetermined course in recent years. Taika Waititi created a notable example of this shift with his masterful Thor: Ragnarok movie and less successful Thor: Love and Thunder, which are essentially humorous critiques of the wider franchise. With TV shows such as WandaVision and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, genre-based experimentation continues. The vastness of Marvel’s cinematic universe, cultivated since Iron Man’s release in 2008, makes it impossible to conserve uniformity. This kind of originality is crucial if Marvel intends to guide the world of cinema through the current Age of Uncertainty.
Curiosity arises about Corrin’s perspective on this altered realm. Were they at ease with the cruder humour? “What Ryan has always achieved with Deadpool is a delightful subversiveness,” they comment. In their view, he is primarily mocking himself, bearing his self-imposed ridicule in a way that establishes the precedent that the jokes are innocuous. There’s no analyzing or judging involved — it’s merely playful and well-intended. They believe that people should welcome such humour and felt this way themselves.
There are perennial aspects, yet some elements alter. Does it seem like they are assuming responsibility from previous X-Men stars James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart, both of whom played versions of Charles Xavier? Cassandra is clearly the nefarious character, but they all belong to the same kinship.
They shared how they rewatched Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy’s portrayals of Xavier for inspiration. They found his character to be layered and gracefully played, full of moral strength. This made it interesting to shift focus to their own role as Xavier’s evil sibling, incorporating elements of Xavier but also distinct contrasts. They delighted in choosing the nuances they wanted to mirror, while crafting noticeable disparities elsewhere.
This might just be enough to restore balance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The arrival of Deadpool & Wolverine will follow one week after the friendly sequel to Twister. If both manage to create a smash-hit for late summer, the prophets of gloom can take a hiatus from their bell ringing. The pressure lies on Feige and his team who must then wait anxiously until February, when Captain America: Brave New World will attempt to reignite Marvel’s fire. The stakes are high.
Deadpool & Wolverine is hitting big screens on Friday, July 26th, preceded by sneak peeks on Thursday, July 25th.