I Feel Old After Watching Deadpool & Wolverine

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Deadpool & Wolverine is a great movie, but I have to admit it makes me feel my age. While Deadpool's latest outing pays its dues to the Disney-backed MCU, it's more interested in being a victory lap for the Marvel movies of yesteryear. In fact, Deadpool & Wolverine gives as much love to the era those films came from as it does to the films themselves. From Deadpool & Wolverine's countless Marvel cameos to the songs and the humor, the design of this film is catered to the generation who grew up with Hugh Jackman on our screens.
I, for one, am on the younger side of that coin. Blade was before my time, but I remember eagerly filing into my local AMC to watch the X-Men movies. My older sister and I grew up with Jackman's Wolverine on the wall, and we struggled to beat X2: Wolverine's Revenge on the GameCube. As a middle schooler, I marveled at how accurately Michael Fassbender played a younger Magneto in X-Men: First Class. During a 12-hour high school trip, the movie playing on the bus was X-Men: Days of Future Past. Needless to say, X-Men was a staple of my childhood.
Like many others, I mourned Jackman departing the role of Wolverine in 2017's Logan. It was a beautiful send-off that echoed Logan's original arc with Rogue by forcing him into another father-figure role, albeit with his actual daughter. As a result, I had my reservations about Ryan Reynolds resurrecting the character. Though it may be my age showing, Deadpool & Wolverine hit all the right notes of nostalgia to make me feel satisfied and very, very old.
A Lot Of Deadpool & Wolverine's References Are 20-30 Years Old Deadpool & Wolverine's Soundtrack Has A 24-Year-Old Callback Close Shortly after Deadpool & Wolverine came out, a fellow Marvel enthusiast gave me a rude awakening. When discussing the now-iconic opening sequence of Deadpool dancing to the year 2000's "Bye Bye Bye," he revealed that he not only did not realize the *NSYNC hit was in X2, but he also did not know the song at all. As someone who once owned one of the boy band's VHS tapes from McDonald's, my mortality flashed before my eyes. While the shiny MCU label attracted younger fans to Deadpool & Wolverine, the older references flew over their heads.
One day, a movie could bring back Star-Lord or Black Widow with One Direction playing in the background, and the younger audiences won't be in on the joke.
Many viewers never roller-skated to Fergie or waited in front of their television screens to check in with Blair and Serena. In fact, I am guilty of this; I only saw 1998's Blade as a rerun on FX. While I was there from the start for the X-Men and Fantastic Four movies, the appeal of Deadpool & Wolverine stretches back to when my parents were 20-somethings. Not every Deadpool & Wolverine Easter egg hits with every audience member 20 to 30 years later. One day, a movie could bring back Star-Lord or Black Widow with One Direction playing in the background, and the younger audiences won't be in on the joke.
Deadpool & Wolverine Is Made For Me, But Damn Do I Feel Old Deadpool & Wolverine Made Me Relive My Childhood

Before Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, another character was the most recognizable face in superhero cinema. Jackman's Logan was a scene-stealer from the moment he showed up in X-Men, and the character defined the franchise for almost 20 years. Coincidentally, those 20 years were also when I grew up. Rooting for Wolverine to save the day (and maybe win Jean Grey's affection) was a national pastime in the early 2000s. Jackman's stellar return in Deadpool & Wolverine not only brought back those old emotions but also fulfilled a decades-long dream to see him wear the comic-accurate suit.

Related Deadpool & Wolverine Ending Explained Deadpool & Wolverine’s ending is filled with multiversal stakes, insane cameos, and big teases for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2 Beyond Wolverine, the film also successfully brought back staples of the Fox era of Marvel films, from heavyhitters like Blade and Elektra to the criminally underrated Pyro. However, the real emotional gut-punch comes as the credits roll. I am not ashamed to say I teared up. Like a classic graduation photo montage, Deadpool & Wolverine uses Green Day's "Good Riddance" to bid farewell to the Marvel films and casts of the past. It's both a meta-reference to the song's overuse to garner nostalgia and a fitting tribute to the movies that made the MCU possible.
Why It Makes Sense That Deadpool & Wolverine Is For A Certain Age Group Deadpool & Wolverine Was Never Meant For The MCU Generation

While Deadpool & Wolverine brought both the Merc with the Mouth and the X-Men into the MCU, it's clear the filmmakers weren't aiming for the audiences that grew up with Captain America and Iron Man. Rather, the movie skews older, going for their parents and babysitters, who were confused when Chris Evans went from playing Johnny Storm to Captain America. If Deadpool & Wolverine is made for that audience, then it only makes sense for the film to honor Marvel's 30-year filmography.
Reynolds himself is a part of that legacy, having been in both Blade: Trinity and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. For his part, director Shawn Levy rose to success with Night at the Museum during the same era when the X-Men movies were at their peak. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige started his film career with X-Men in 2000. Deadpool & Wolverine honors Marvel's film legacy and thanks long-term fans, while also allowing its creators to celebrate their careers.
This approach more than paid off. Deadpool & Wolverine is not only a box office hit, but it leaves the door open for the return of many Fox-era heroes, such as Blade, Gambit, and Logan's former X-Men teammates. Though the film came with the tough reminder that my childhood is indeed long gone, I appreciate Deadpool & Wolverine for what it is; a fun, mostly harmless nostalgia trip.

Deadpool & Wolverine

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R Action Sci-FiComedySuperhero
Director Shawn Levy Release Date July 26, 2024 Studio(s) Marvel , Maximum Effort Distributor(s) Disney Writers Rhett Reese , Paul Wernick , Shawn Levy , Ryan Reynolds , Zeb Wells , Rob Liefeld , Fabian Nicieza Cast Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Emma Corrin , Morena Baccarin , Rob Delaney , Leslie Uggams , Karan Soni , Matthew Macfadyen , Brianna Hildebrand , Shioli Kutsuna , Stefan Kapicic , Lewis Tan , Randal Reeder , Jennifer Garner , Aaron Stanford , Billy Clements , Ollie Palmer , Chris Hemsworth , Rob McElhenney Character(s) Deadpool , Wolverine , Cassandra Nova , Vanessa Carlysle , Peter , Blind Al , Dopinder , Mr. Paradox , Negasonic Teenage Warhead , Pinkie Pie , Colossus , Shatterstar , Buck , Elektra Natchios , Pyro , Russian , Bar Patron , Thor , TVA Minuteman Runtime 127 Minutes Franchise(s) Deadpool , Marvel Cinematic Universe prequel(s) Deadpool , Deadpool 2 Main Genre Action Expand Upcoming MCU Movies