After years of development hell, Ryan Reynolds got his passion project made in the shape of 2016’s Deadpool, in which the Canadian actor played the Merc with a Mouth who likes to break the fourth wall and say something funny and filled with profanity. Released at a time when the superhero movie was thriving, the Tim Miller-directed Deadpool was essentially a parody of the genre, and yet instead of killing it like Blazing Saddles killed the western genre, it only enhanced the superhero boom and Deadpool himself was getting his own franchise. In this current age where the superhero craze might be fading, does Ryan Reynolds once again playing his most iconic role stay relevant?

It has been six years since Deadpool 2 and with the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, there was a possibility that Deadpool would be integrated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now back with his R-rated attitude intact, the long-awaited Deadpool & Wolverine seems to be about Wade Wilson going through an existential crisis as whether or not his role as the wisecracking mercenary matters. That crisis is put to the test when the Time Variance Authority pulls Deadpool from his quiet life and sets him on a mission to save his universe, partnering with a reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) from another universe in the process.

Along with the return of Reynolds as Deadpool, you also have the return of Hugh Jackman in arguably his most iconic role; certainly the role that made him a movie star back in 2000, when the first X-Men movie was released and launched the reemergence of superhero movies. After 2017’s Logan, it felt like the perfect send-off for Jackman’s Wolverine and though this movie tries to have its cake and eat it by not attempting to trample the legacy of James Mangold’s brilliant deconstruction film, there is that sense that Jackman can’t seem to let go of the character.

That said, Reynolds and Jackman are a great double act in their title roles, where one is the straight man and the other is the funny guy, and you probably guess which is which. Although Reynolds’ recent career has been about playing roles that are very similar to Wade Wilson, when he is actually playing Deadpool, you are reminded why he was perfectly cast in that role, even if not everyone is on board with his brand of humor.

As for Jackman, finally rocking the “yellow spandex” in Deadpool & Wolverine that we robbed from all those years, he too reminds why he is perfectly cast as Wolverine whose no-bullshit persona is a nice contrast with Reynolds’ carefree performance. It may not reach the heights of Logan, but if Jackman is to retire from this role after this, it would be a good note to end on.

Since Deadpool & Wolverine is built upon the buddy dynamic between its two leads, what is the movie’s place in the MCU? Well, apart from the TVA from the Loki TV series, this doesn’t leave much of an impact with this well-established shared universe and is actually about looking back at the past.

In a similar vein to Spider-Man: No Way Home, the movie is about nostalgia over a particular period of superhero cinema, specifically in this case when Fox produced their own line-up of Marvel movies, not just the X-Men franchise. With this constant look-back at a studio which is personified here like The Statue of Liberty in Planet of the Apes, there is an over-indulgence of cameos, some of which are delightful and others remind you why the Fox era was a rather maligned time.

Directed by Shawn Levy who co-wrote the Deadpool & Wolverine with Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells, the movie tries to achieve a lot and like the two leads, they got lost in the chaos. Amidst the heavy amount of gore and comedy, as well as a tone that is just as flippant as Deadpool himself, the plot is too paper-thin to give the emotional weight, which is about the eponymous leads becoming heroes as a way of redeeming their past mistakes.

As for Emma Corrin who shines as the main villain Cassandra Nova who can literally get under your skin, there aren’t enough scenes with her, considering she has to share some of the villainy with Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Paradox; if only Cassandra was a villain in one of the X-Men movies.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ review: Fun buddy comedy stands apart from MCU

Deadpool & Wolverine

Despite the Marvel Studios logo at the beginning, Deadpool & Wolverine has no interest in its role in the MCU except for the occasional joke. As the weakest of the three Deadpool movies, it still works largely as a fun R-rated buddy comedy that showcases the strong chemistry between the two leads.

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Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman own this movie!

From the meta-humor and the gory action, it has everything you want in a Deadpool movie…

…even if the movie itself is overblown with the amount of cameos and plot machinations, that there isn’t much of an emotional angle.

Very little impact on the MCU, which is probably for the best.

Not enough Cassandra Nova.

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Published 26 July 2024, 20:13 IST

Video game performers are officially on strike.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists called a walkout this week on behalf of roughly 2,600 actors doing voice-over, motion-capture and other work in the gaming industry.

Union leaders took the step after they could not reach an agreement on artificial intelligence terms while bargaining for a new contract with the top video game companies, including Activision, Electronic Arts, Insomniac and Blindlight.

“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse AI to the detriment of our members,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement Thursday. “Enough is enough.”

Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers, said in a statement: “We are disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations.”

How did we get here?

The union has been in contract negotiations with the video game companies since 2022, and the Interactive Media Agreement expired that November.

Video game performers are seeking a new agreement that will require video game producers to obtain their consent and compensate them when using AI to replicate their voices or likenesses. They are also demanding wage increases to keep up with inflation, more rest time and set medics for hazardous jobs.

Tensions escalated in September 2023, when union members voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator and national executive director of SAG-AFTRA, said at the time that the companies were not “willing to meaningfully engage on the critical issues,” including compensation, AI and safety.

The companies vowed to “negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement that reflects the important contributions” of game performers.

On July 20, the union’s national board of directors granted Crabtree-Ireland the authority to call a strike, citing a lingering dispute over AI.

How will this affect the video game companies?

Much like last year’s Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes against the film and TV studios and streaming services, this one could potentially lead to longer-term production lulls, particularly for games scheduled for release in 2025 or 2026.

Production is expensive and on a tight schedule, a reality that doesn’t give video game companies a lot of margin to “sit this out,” said Joost van Dreunen, an adjunct assistant professor at NYU Stern School of Business and author of “One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games.”

For instance, companies can’t afford to miss out on the all-important holiday spending season. November and December traditionally account for about half of annual game sales, he said.

“If you don’t get things across the line, if you can’t finish your work and release it on time, you’re going to miss a very, very important window, and that’s going to hurt you financially,” Van Dreunen said.

But not all games are covered by the strike. According to contract provisions, games that were in production when the union provided the company with notice of its termination are not subject to the strike order, according to a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson.

What’s next?

As of Friday, SAG-AFTRA video game actors are barred from lending their services to any struck games.

Those services may include acting, singing, dancing, stunts, motion capture, auditions, camera tests, rehearsals, authorizing the use of one’s voice or likeness, background and stand-in work.

Covered performers are also prohibited from promoting struck games via social media, interviews, conventions, festivals, award shows, podcast appearances or any other platform. (The ongoing San Diego Comic-Con has been exempt from this rule due to its proximity to the strike announcement.)

The union has indicated that it will also hold pickets as part of the walkout.

Only time will tell how long it will take the union and the companies to reach a tentative agreement and end the work stoppage.

The last strike by video game actors stretched on for nearly a year, from October 2016 to September 2017. Back then, AI had yet to become a major concern and performers were pushing for residual-like payments based on video game sales — similar to how film and TV actors are compensated for their work.

Van Dreunen said companies would likely try to resolve the contract negotiations by September, but at the latest, by the end of the year, before answering to investors during their next earnings calls.