2024 was never shaping up to be a particularly strong year for comic book-based movies (especially after Marvel Studios announced that only one MCU film would be released), but we weren't expecting it to be quite so disappointing - from a critical or commercial standpoint.
Of the seven CBMs that hit theaters this year, only Deadpool and Wolverine was positively-reviewed, and even that was far what you'd call critically-acclaimed with a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. The comedic team-up was a massive success at the box office, however, and is now the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.
Sony Pictures released three SSU movies in 2024, Venom: The Last Dance, Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter, and all wound up with a green splat on the review aggregator. The Venom threequel did perform relatively well at the box office, but the others bombed.
We also had a pair of reboots in Hellboy: The Crooked Man and The Crow, neither of which made a dent at the box office and were both met with negative reviews.
The most surprising of the bunch was by far Joker: Folie à Deux. Todd Phillips' original Joker was somewhat divisive, but it was a huge hit for Warner Bros. and was the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever until Deadpool and Wolverine surpassed it.
So, not exactly the best year for genre, but 2025 has to be better... Right?
With Superman, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Captain America: Brave New World on the slate, we can only hope.
The MPAA gave Deadpool and Wolverine an official R-rating for: "Strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore, and sexual references."
“Marvel Studios presents their most significant mistake to date - Deadpool & Wolverine," reads the new synopsis. "A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life. His days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. When his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctantlier... reluctanter? Reluctantest? He must convince a reluctant Wolverine to - F*ck. Synopses are so f*cking stupid.”
In addition to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in the title roles, Deadpool and Wolverine will see Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Rob Delaney (Peter), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) And Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio) return as their respective characters, and they'll be joined by franchise newcomers Emma Corrin (The Crown) and Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), who will play a TV agent and Charles Xavier's evil counterpart, Cassandra Nova.
Shawn Levy directs Deadpool and Wolverine from a script by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells.
The movie is now available on Digital platform, Disney+ and DVD/Blu-ray.