"Deadpool & Wolverine" - Marvel's Back? Well...The MOJO At Least

 I went to the movie theaters to see "Deadpool & Wolverine," knowing full well that this was going to be the biggest blockbuster of the movie season. In fact, the week before had seen the release of "Twisters," an unlikely sequel to the '90's hit disaster flick and that seemed to bring a good crowd. But before that? Sadly it's been a VERY lackluster movie year. Movies projected to be hits weren't and others just died a quiet, lonely death at the box office. All those that projected the end of the movie theaters seemed to be speaking the truth. And as someone whose pastime is going to see first run movies in the theaters, these predictions are a hard pill to swallow. I can be as optimistic as anyone, but I can also see the writing on the wall. Streaming is all the rage. Cord cutters have taken to streaming services like Netflix, Disney +, Hulu, Max, and even free platforms like YouTube and Tubi to get their abundant amount of film and television content. This happened decades ago when television was all the rage and people could stay home and watch. Theaters and movies managed to maneuver and create movies that only a big screen presentation could give you. Home theaters and movie rentals also threatened the existence of first run theatrical releases but it actually HELPED the cause and made movies an American culture. Things were good.

But I must admit I don't know what theatrical films can do with such convenience as streaming. Well, scratch that. I DO know what they can do, but I don't think the movie business is open to doing it. That being create films without blowing up the budget. Give theaters a bigger share of the revenue, and keep prices low. Yeah...I don't see it happening.

So things seemed bleak. But there's always a bright light out there. And this came in the form of the merc with the mouth, Deadpool himself. His first two solo films were massive hits and the prospect of him entering the flailing MCU was an exciting move for all involved. And bringing back the beloved X-Man Wolverine (and the great actor Hugh Jackman) was even more of a reason to go.

And so having seen the film, not only is the hype warranted, but as an old school X-Men fan (having seen the very first film back in 2000) the nostalgia dose was intoxicating. This was truly a love letter to those films and the old 20th Century Fox era of superhero might. And a fitting sendoff that they deserved. Though there is a chance (in this comic book multiverse) that these characters CAN return in some form or another. And that is truly exciting. 

The movie theaters really needed this injection of movie magic and now as a billion dollar worldwide smash, I'm so happy to see that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gotten its mojo back. And with the announcement of Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU (not as Iron Man...but as Doctor Doom!), and the triumphant return of The X-Men and The Fantastic 4, the future of Marvel is bright. This was the promise of Disney buying the Fox catalog. That this would one day make Marvel whole. And we're starting to get a glimpse of it. And it's beautiful. 

A new age of fandom begins.