Fans have been eagerly awaiting the third installment in Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool franchise since 2018 when its sequel premiered. To add to the hype, Reynolds took to social media, along with Hugh Jackman, to announce that Logan, also known as the Wolverine, will be coming back to the big screen to fight alongside the Merc with a Mouth. Fans exploded with excitement to find out that Wolverine would be returning, even after the character’s demise in the critically acclaimed Logan, directed by James Mangold.
Nevertheless, Deadpool & Wolverine is all ready to be released on July 26, 2024. The trailer, which premiered on Superbowl Sunday, became the most-watched Marvel trailer in 24 hours, beating Spider-Man: No Way Home. Fans are eagerly anticipating the release of the film as it seems to play a big role in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are some amazing films you should watch while you wait for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Update February 22, 2024: This article has been updated following the release of the trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine and why you should watch each movie before the Merc with the Mouth returns to the big screen.
Deadpool (2016)
Perhaps one of the best places to start is where it all started for the character of Deadpool. The first Deadpool film showed the Merc with a Mouth how he was meant to be. The film is comedy-reliant, but it is explosively violent and true to the character. It is a fan favorite and proved that Deadpool was the role Ryan Reynolds was meant to play.
Why You Should Watch This Movie
This film shows the origin story of our favorite Merc with a Mouth and how he changed into a scarred vigilante out for vengeance. The movie is filled with grotesque action and a surprisingly sweet love story to complement it. What was originally the film that 20th Century Fox didn’t want to take a risk on due to the R-rated nature of the character quickly became the crown jewel of the X-Men franchise as, at the time of its release, became the highest-grossing film in the franchise. The character of Deadpool has come a long way and his third film will likely call back to many moments from his origin story. Stream on Disney+.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
Deadpool 2 came during the highest superhero hype era and in the same year as Avengers: Infinity War. A combining element of both of those films is Josh Brolin. The sequel to the highly acclaimed Deadpool film utilizes the character of Cable (played by Brolin) and breaks the fourth wall between Marvel and even DC’s most notable elements (good and bad). It also uses time travel to poke fun at some of Reynolds’ own career decisions.
Why You Should Watch This Movie
This film marked the rite of passage every superhero in Marvel has to go through, and that is losing a loved one. Deadpool‘s canon event was losing the love of his life, Vanessa, and how it steered him into a path of helping people in danger in his own weird way. Deadpool 2‘s post-credit scene featured Wade Wilson using Cable’s time travel technology to fix the timeline and save Vanessa as well as alter other timelines like killing his variant from X-Men Origins: Wolverine or stopping Ryan Reynolds from making Green Lantern. What started as a joke now seems to be the launching point for Deadpool & Wolverine as the character’s time travel shenanigans might have drawn the attention of the TVA. Stream on Disney+
X-Men (2000)
X-Men
- Release Date
- July 13, 2000
X-Men was one of Marvel’s earliest shining stars, next to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The first of the X-Men films was released in 2000 and introduced audiences to a comic book world of mutants for the first time in the live-action format. It is also the first time audiences got to see Hugh Jackman take on the role of Wolverine. To fans’ surprise, Jackman nailed the role and created a long-lasting legacy for fans to enjoy.
Why You Should Watch The Movie
X-Men introduced some of the earliest and most iconic mutants of the film series, including Professor X, Magneto, Storm, Jean Grey, Mystique, Cyclops, and Rogue. The film set the way for the other X-Men movies to come. It features an all-star cast that includes Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Halle Berry, just to name a few. This film is a must-watch for Marvel fans because this is where the journey of the X-Men began and will likely factor in a big way to Deadpool & Wolverine. Stream on Disney+
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
While it is not a perfect film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the canonical story of Wolverine’s past. Just like Deadpool focuses on the titular character’s origin story, this film focuses on the origin of Logan/Wolverine. The most intriguing thing about the film is Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, a wisecracking mercenary who is transformed into a mindless killing machine named Weapon XI. Even though Logan kills him in the film, it is nice to see where Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool originated from.
Why You Should Watch This Movie
Deadpool has been seen poking fun at Wolverine and his highest and lowest points throughout his run on screen. Seeing this origin story will aid in some of the potential jokes the Merc with a Mouth will tell in the long-awaited third installment. This marked the first time Deadpool and Wolverine shared the screen together, and while it certainly did not go over well with fans or critics alike, it is safe to assume many jokes will be made at the expense of the movie in Deadpool & Wolverine. Stream on Disney+.
The Wolverine (2013)
The Wolverine continues the story of Logan and takes him to Japan to fight samurai. The film shows Logan still traumatized from the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, where he had to murder Jean Grey, who rose to the Dark Phoenix persona. It even features Famke Janssen as Jean Grey. The film acts as more of a stand-alone action film and explores Wolverine in a way audiences have not seen before.
Why You Should Watch The Movie
While the film is PG-13, it does feature more violent imagery and new action sequences for Wolverine to shine. It is a great understanding of Logan and Wolverine as a character, and shows how he can fit into a variety of genres. Notably, the film contains a deleted alternate ending that would have seen Wolverine finally get his classic comic book costume, one he will now do in Deadpool & Wolverine. Stream on Disney+.
Logan (2017)
James Mangold’s Logan is one of the most sophisticated and gritty comic book films of all time. The film shows Wolverine as an old and battered man who is dependent on supplements to keep his body from killing him. The character is unleashed into a violent world where the X-Men are no more, thanks to Professor X’s collapsing break and unmatched power. The movie follows Logan who, despite his dying state, tries to save Laura and some other mutant children and get them to safety. The film concludes the story of Logan, but not Jackman’s two-decade run of the character as we might have thought.
Why You Should Watch The Movie
The film is a brutal depiction of the character and bookends his narrative in a way that is cathartic and heartwarming. Since this was chronologically the last X-Men movie and took place in the year 2029, it will be interesting to see whether the events of this movie somehow effect Deadpool & Wolverine. Jackman has already confirmed Deadpool & Wolverine will not impact the film’s ending, suggesting the Wolverine audiences see in the upcoming film will be a younger version of the one in Logan or even a variant. Stream on Disney+.
X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: First Class is another origin story of how the current X-Men first came to fruition thanks to young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender). The film is an entertaining breath of fresh air in the franchise which offers fans of the world new characters and familiar faces. One familiar face is Wolverine himself, who drops an F-bomb in a perfect way.
Why You Should Watch This Movie
The film acts as a catalyst for the entire X-Men universe and uses historical context to help tell a compelling story about mutants in society. The movie does a fantastic job of setting up the lore of the X-Men and builds a world for future mutants to come. It is also the first movie you should watch if you want to watch all the X-Men and Deadpool movies in chronological order. Stream on Disney+
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
While the film is one of the darkest, X-Men: Days of Future Past combines two story narrative timelines in a way that brings the future back to the past… literally. We get to see Professor X in both his young and current age, along with Magneto and a slew of other characters who are forced against mutant-hunting machines known as Sentinels, led by Dr. Bolivar Trask (played by Peter Dinklage). The film combines characters from the original films with new-age characters from the past. It also erases a timeline in an already time-jumbled universe. Even though the film complicates the universe’s timeline a bit, it also clears up some confusion and sets the stage for some of the other films that come later.
Why You Should Watch This Movie
Much like Days of Future Past, Deadpool & Wolverine looks to be playing around with different timelines as Deadpool will find himself jumping back and forth between the 20th Century Fox X-Men films and the MCU. Much like how X-Men: Days of Future Past reunited various characters from the two X-Men movie timelines, Deadpool & Wolverine looks to do the same as the film has already confirmed Aaron Stanford is returning as Pyro and many more mutants and other heroes are rumored to appear in the multiversal Deadpool film. Stream on Max.
Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern
2011 film adaptation of the DC character Hal Jordan, who is also known by his superhero persona Green Lantern.
- Release Date
- June 16, 2011
Green Lantern is notably Reynolds’ not-so-successful run in the comic book world. No one has made jokes about the film more than Reynolds himself. He even joked about the mistake it was to do the film in Deadpool 2, where he actually goes back in time and shoots the real-life Ryan Reynolds after he reads the script and comments on what a good career move this film will be. It made for some great comedy and self-awareness, as well as fourth wall breaking, which makes the character so iconic.
Why You Should Watch This Movie
Even though it was not successful, watching the movie before Deadpool will show you that red definitely suits Reynolds better than green. There will certainly be plenty of jokes in Deadpool & Wolverine made about Green Lantern, as both previous Deadpool films have done so. It is also a nice reminder that while one might think some recent MCU films might not live up to the previous highs of the franchise, they still have not made a movie as bad as Green Lantern. Stream on Max.
Free Guy (2021)
Free Guy is a film outside the Marvel realm but aids in the hype for Deadpool & Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds’ depiction as Guy in an open-world video game is similar to Deadpool, once he realizes his potential in a world where anything is possible. The film’s director, Shawn Levy, is also the director of Deadpool & Wolverine and also worked with Hugh Jackman in the 2011 action drama Reel Steel.
Why You Should Watch This Movie
Both Levy’s robot-smashing film and Free Guy were hits, and given the director’s past collaborations with Reynolds and Jackman, it is clear why Marvel Studios picked him to helm Deadpool & Wolverine. Free Guy notably featured fun references to stuff like Star Wars and The Avengers, so Levy clearly knows how to have fun within the sandbox, and we are hoping to see the same type of chaotic throw-everything-at-the-screen for-a-joke mentality for Deadpool’s first foray into the MCU. Stream on Disney+.
Deadpool & Wolverine opens in theaters on July 26, 2024.
