As with most film commercials that dropped throughout Super Bowl 2024, the brand new trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine was solely marketed with a teaser. Is smart contemplating trailers are often a pair minutes and Huge Sport adverts are decidedly 30-second spots. However there was a unique motive it was solely a teaser that aired on tv and inspired followers to look at the complete trailer on-line: The total trailer introduces pegging to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The trailer opens on Wade Wilson’s party. There’s a knock on the door. Wilson (aka Deadpool, performed by Ryan Reynolds) solutions and is greeted by brokers from the Time Variance Authority, the timeline-policing outfit on the heart of Loki. Because the TVA brokers whip out their glowing Time Sticks, Wade retorts “Pegging is not new for me, friendo. However it’s for Disney.” Then he seems straight on the digicam.
We gained’t get into pegging right here (IYKYK), however suffice to say, Wade’s proper. Whereas it may be a boring joke for Deadpool, it’s one thing new for MCU/Disney providing. Deadpool & Wolverine is the primary Deadpool film to hit theaters (it drops in July) since Disney accomplished its $52 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox and introduced Deadpool and the X-Males into the MCU fold. Doing so, and bringing Wolverine into the combination, was at all times going to require some kind of timey-wimey retconning—he’s had two films value of adventures whereas the opposite Avengers had been out chasing Thanos—so tying Deadpool to the TVA is sensible from a continuity (and Kang Dynasty) perspective. It’s additionally an indication that at the least somebody at Disney is aware of the MCU must be shaken up.
Because it stands, Deadpool & Wolverine is the one Marvel film popping out this 12 months, and the final one—The Marvels—didn’t precisely mild the world on hearth, regardless of being a extremely good time. Many speculated in 2023 that Marvel was losing its way. Introducing a foul-mouthed sexy hero, one which builds on the somewhat queer themes of the Thor films and Loki, appears to be Disney’s plan for injecting some pleasure into the franchise.
Once I interviewed Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy final 12 months, I requested him about bringing some chew to the mild world of Marvel. Once I requested if the film could be R-rated, he stated, “Fuck sure.” Once I requested about Deadpool’s id, he perked up, noting that “the pansexual openness of Deadpool is pleasant. … [he’s] so audaciously ahead-of-his-time fluid.” Ideologically, he stood on the facet of Disney in being towards laws like Florida’s “Don’t say homosexual” invoice, which has put the Mouse Home in a legal standoff with the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis.
It could be straightforward to put in writing off the queering of the MCU below the auspices of Disney as an empty try at “edginess”—one which solely winks at LGBTQ+ followers with out really representing them. There’s something to the cynical view, however given the blowback Disney is more likely to obtain for releasing Deadpool & Wolverine throughout Sizzling Election 12 months Summer season, the hassle seems real.
