Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) is one of the most successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies of all time, coming in at seventh place behind 2019’s Avengers: Endgame (most successful), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Avengers (2012), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Black Panther (2018), after grossing $1.34 billion worldwide. It also became the 20th-highest-grossing film of all time, the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, and the second-highest-grossing film of 2024.
For many fans, though, Deadpool & Wolverine technically isn’t an MCU flick—it’s the final entry in Fox’s X-Men film series. Whether or not you agree, it’s still the oddest film in the MCU franchise—not just due to its fourth-wall-breaking, but because it’s a sequel to two previous Fox movies, however you look at it. On the other hand, the same can probably be said about Spider-Man: No Way Home to some extent seeing as it serves as a sequel (of sorts) to both Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man films.
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But what’s particularly unique about Deadpool & Wolverine—besides the fact that it’s the MCU’s first meta installment and the first Fox carry-over, of course—is that it’s actually the second movie to jointly feature the two titular superheroes. Did everyone forget 2009’s Wolverine: X-Men Origins, the first film to star both Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool? Which means that Deadpool & Wolverine isn’t the third Deadpool movie—it’s the fourth one!
So, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s rank all four Deadpool movies from worst to best.
Wolverine: X-Men Origins
It’s hardly surprising that we’ve ranked Wolverine: X-Men Origins as the lowest entry in the Deadpool film series—by a landslide, we might add. Though not quite the first entry in that series as it’s an X-Men spinoff and a Wolverine movie first and can only really be considered a Deadpool flick retrospectively, it still features Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds’ X-Men characters, even if the latter portrayal felt like a bad dream for many fans at the time.
The first of three Wolverine spinoffs, Wolverine: X-Men Origins is just as the title suggests: it’s an origin story for the titular adamantium-clawed mutant. Naturally, the film is populated with other mutants, which include Wade Wilson/Deadpool, portrayed by Ryan Reynolds. But don’t expect his iconic costume or fourth-wall-breaking charm—this iteration plays it very safe. At least until the final fight, by which point his mouth has been sewn shut.
Though unknown to wider audiences back then, Reynolds’ mutant villain still failed to impress. As for the diehard Deadpool comic book enthusiasts at the time, his Terminator 2-inspired blade arms and teleportation abilities were as equally staggering as his lack of dialogue. But despite being a terrible movie, Wolverine: X-Men Origins‘ death was not in vain as it provided some hilarious material for the final scenes in Deadpool 2 (2018).
Deadpool
The first official film in the Deadpool series was a breath of fresh air back in 2016. During the height of the MCU’s then-seemingly unstoppable success (the same year Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange hit theaters), Deadpool (2016) offered cinemagoers the chance to experience the world of superheroes through a violent, R-rated lens with a meta, fourth-wall-breaking comedy film that also pokes fun at the MCU and the wider genre.
But if Deadpool proves anything, it’s that Ryan Reynolds was born to play the Merc With a Mouth. He slips into the role as well as he does into the figure-hugging suit, and though it’s difficult to place the film into the X-Men series canonically (the fourth-wall gags about X-Men actors make it near impossible), the jokes are worth it. But Deadpool ticks many boxes: it’s also action-packed, the soundtrack is great, and you care about all the characters.
The film is far from perfect, though, as it ultimately becomes the type of formulaic superhero origin story complete with generic villains and all the other usual trappings it’s poking fun at (maybe that’s the whole point). Nevertheless, it birthed the Deadpool franchise as we know it and gave us yet another iconic superhero to love. And somehow, despite essentially being an X-Men spoof, it’s also the best entry in the X-Men series. But that isn’t saying much.
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Deadpool & Wolverine
Seeing as we had one unsurprising ranking on this list, it’s only fitting that there’s one that will leave you shaking your head in disbelief. But, of course, that’s not why we’ve placed the absolutely fantastic Deadpool & Wolverine in second place. Needless to say, the Merc with a Mouth’s first outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe knocks it out of the park and then some. It’s also Wolverine’s first shared universe rodeo, and he delivers in equal measure.
Whether you’re here to watch Hugh Jackman’s Logan and Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson beat the living hell out of each other and team up to save the world, or to see one of the many thrilling cameos (Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, and Dafne Keen’s Laura/X-23, to name a few), or all of the above, you won’t be disappointed by what can only be described as the boldest, ballsiest, and most bonkers MCU entry there will likely ever be.
But it’s no stretch to say that Deadpool & Wolverine isn’t a perfect movie. With Deadpool now falling under the Disney banner and with it the MCU (as a result of Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox Studios in 2019), which provides some hilarious gags throughout, it perhaps stops the film from reaching its full potential. To put it simply, while this is probably the best version of Deadpool & Wolverine, it might not be the best Deadpool threequel.
Deadpool 2
Coming in just a cut above Deadpool & Wolverine is Deadpool 2. It’s fair to say that rewatching the 2018 sequel in the wake of this year’s crossover flick might be tough for many fans, but fortunately, Josh Brolin’s time-traveling mercenary Cable will fill part of the void left by Hugh Jackman’s Logan/Wolverine. Of course, Cable’s presence pales in comparison, but his back-and-forth with Deadpool will undoubtedly serve as a nice distraction.
Deadpool 2 is populated with other great characters, too, from Zazie Beets’ Domino to Rob Delaney’s Peter. The plot is also a lot more interesting than that of its predecessor as the film brings the ever-entertaining time travel into the fold, as well as tragedy between Wade and Morena Baccarin’s Vanessa. Deadpool 2 has it all, including, of course, a ton of swearing and bloody violence—two of the key ingredients to making any film in this series great.
The reason we’ve ranked Deadpool 2 in first place, though, comes down to two main things: it’s the funniest film in this series and it has the best story. But we’d be lying if we said the film’s final moments don’t play a huge part, too. Watching Deadpool “correct” a few timelines, from Wolverine: X-Men Origins to DC’s Green Lantern (2011)—another one of Reynolds’ failed superhero outings—is nothing short of laugh-out-loud hilarious.
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Check out the trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine below:
Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson/Deadpool), Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine), Emma Corrin (Cassandra Nova), Matthew Macfadyen (Mr Paradox), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa Carlysle), Rob Delaney (Peter Wisdom), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio), Stefan Kapičić (Colossus), Jennifer Garner (Elektra Natchios), Wesley Snipes (Blade), Channing Tatum (Gambit), and Daphne Keen (Laura/X-23).
The film is now streaming.
Do you agree with this ranking? Let us know in the comments down below!
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