Who would’ve ever thought the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would need saving? Not me, for one, after bearing witness to the ridiculous run of success of the MCU from 2008-2019.
The success continued with a few streaming hits (WandaVision and Loki) and big screen ones (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Wakanda Forever and Guardians of the Galaxy 3). But it’s fair to say that the returns have been spottier than in the past.
Enter Deadpool 3
The combined star power of Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine) packs a considerable punch. And comic book movie fans and movie industry executives are banking on this punch to score a box office knockout.
When Disney purchased (back) its Marvel properties from Fox in March 2019, fans were geeked about the prospect of finally adding mutants to the MCU.
At the time, the feeling was that the mutants would add to the brilliance of Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Spider-Man and Iron Man.
Funny how a few years change things. Comic book movie fatigue, spotty movie performances (i.e., The Eternals, Ant-Man 3, and the Marvels), mediocre and often disconnected streaming shows (i.e., She-Hulk and Secret Invasion), the negative COVID effect (2020-22) on the box office, and the recent writers strike (which only ended in September), have all conspired to break the MCU’s box office stranglehold.
But I’m here to say that I think the stranglehold resumes in the summer of 2024–July 24, with the release of Deadpool 3.
