As with most film commercials that dropped throughout Tremendous Bowl 2024, the brand new trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine was solely marketed with a teaser. Is smart contemplating trailers are normally a pair minutes and Large Recreation adverts are decidedly 30-second spots. However there was a distinct cause it was solely a teaser that aired on tv and inspired followers to look at the complete trailer on-line: The complete trailer introduces pegging to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The trailer opens on Wade Wilson’s celebration. There’s a knock on the door. Wilson (aka Deadpool, performed by Ryan Reynolds) solutions and is greeted by brokers from the Time Variance Authority, the timeline-policing outfit on the middle of Loki. Because the TVA brokers whip out their glowing Time Sticks, Wade retorts “Pegging is not new for me, friendo. However it’s for Disney.” Then he appears straight on the digital camera.
We received’t get into pegging right here (IYKYK), however suffice to say, Wade’s proper. Whereas it is likely to be a run-of-the-mill joke for Deadpool, it’s one thing new for an MCU/Disney providing. Deadpool & Wolverine is the primary Deadpool film to hit theaters (it drops in July) since Disney accomplished its $52 billion acquisition of twenty first Century Fox and introduced Deadpool and the X-Males into the MCU fold. Doing so, and bringing Wolverine into the combo, was all the time going to require some type of timey-wimey retconning—he’s had two motion pictures value of adventures whereas the opposite Avengers have been out chasing Thanos—so tying Deadpool to the TVA is sensible from a continuity (and Kang Dynasty) perspective. It’s additionally an indication that not less than somebody at Disney is aware of the MCU must be shaken up.
Because it stands, Deadpool & Wolverine is the one Marvel film popping out this 12 months, and the final one—The Marvels—didn’t precisely gentle the world on fireplace, regardless of being a extremely good time. Many speculated in 2023 that Marvel was dropping its approach. Introducing a foul-mouthed attractive hero, one which builds on the relatively queer themes of the Thor motion pictures and Loki, appears to be Disney’s plan for injecting some pleasure into the franchise.
Once I interviewed Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy final 12 months, I requested him about bringing some chew to the light world of Marvel. I requested if the film could be R-rated, and he mentioned, “Fuck sure.” Once I requested about Deadpool’s id, he perked up, noting that “the pansexual openness of Deadpool is pleasant … [He’s] so audaciously ahead-of-his-time fluid.” Ideologically, he stood on the aspect of Disney in being towards laws like Florida’s “Don’t say homosexual” invoice, which has put the Mouse Home in a authorized standoff with the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis.
It could be straightforward to jot down off the queering of the MCU below the auspices of Disney as an empty try at “edginess”—one which solely winks at LGBTQ+ followers with out really representing them. There’s something to the cynical view, however given the blowback Disney is more likely to obtain for releasing Deadpool & Wolverine throughout Scorching Election 12 months Summer time, the trouble seems real.
