In just one week, the lone MCU theatrical release of 2024 hits theaters, and its success will foretell how Phases 5, 6, and beyond go for Kevin Feige & co. Is there a lot on the line here for Marvel Studios? You bet, and we’re not just talking box office numbers. If “Deadpool & Wolverine” scores low with critics and/or, let’s face it, makes less than $1B worldwide, then the era of the superhero movie may very well be over.
Maybe that’s why Marvel made their final trailer for Shawn Levy‘s film such a nostalgia trip: remembering the good old days helps put butts in seats. The last preview before “Deadpool & Wolverine” hits theaters is a love letter to its second-billed superhero and Hugh Jackman‘s run as Logan. There are fewer irreverent quips, more emotion, and a more serious tone in general here. And with clips from Jackman’s previous standalone Wolverine films littered throughout, this trailer hopes, even pleads, to its viewer that Jackman’s onscreen return will be worth the wait.
Add in a new cameo reveal (X-23), and it’s obvious Marvel wants MCU fans, Wolverine fans, Fox “X-Men” fans, and pretty much everybody else to see this movie next weekend. Will all this bait be enough to ensure success? Stay tuned.
Here’s a brief synopsis for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” courtesy of Marvel Studios:
Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth, Deadpool. They team up to defeat a common enemy.
Of course, Levy’s film stars Ryan Reynolds and Jackman in the central roles. But “Deadpool & Wolverine” also boasts Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, and Matthew Macfadyen in its main cast. And expect cameos, and lots of them, in this MCU entry. That could be old “Deadpool” characters reprising their roles from earlier films, or Marvel-adjacent heroes like Jennier Garner‘s Elektra, or various X-Men mutants, or even Ryan Reynolds’ friend and business partner Rob McElhenney. If anything is certain about this film, there will be lots of surprises in it, be they cameos or otherwise.
Will all of that be enough to save the MCU from relative mediocrity at the box office? Everyone finds out next weekend when “Deadpool & Wolverine” hits theaters on July 26. Watch the final trailer for Shawn Levy’s film below.