An Alternate Reality: Fox's X-Men Cracked the Multiverse First

There's much talk of the alternate-reality/multiverse approach to both Marvel and DC mythologies: how their cinematic universes will open for a broad range of superhero crossovers. The intrigue is justified, but the idea isn't trailblazing or unusual among imagi-franchises. 

Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Star Trek, Terminator, Planet of the Apes, Alien Nation, Fringe, Sliders, Cloverfield and (in perhaps a more subtle manner) Toho's kaiju have paved thought-provoking, parallel paths. However (unless one considers such small-screen endeavors as Gerard Christopher's Superboy or Lois and Clark), the forerunner on the live-action superhero-franchise front is Twentieth Century Fox's X-Men. 

The actual catalyst came with Days of Future Past, named after a comic-book saga, which in turn was named after a legendary concept album by the Moody Blues. 

In X-Men's Days, time travel invades, with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine leading the charge. The '70s morph as a result, with an assassination attempt on President Nixon and bad girl, Mystique turning good in the end.

 

Nothing was the same after those events, though the altered history presented doesn't erase what came before or what may exist along an infinite number of celestial trails. The setup also allowed its actors to exchange roles and backgrounds within Days' ensuing sequels/prequels: a gimmick that both Warner Brothers and Disney now employ without shame. 

Considering X-Men's track record, our diligent mutants have left the door wide open for amazing offshoots and outcomes. For example, a few years prior, audiences were treated to a rugged realm where Logan grew old in a character study that, though connected to previous chapters, embodied its own world, while still begging for a down-the-line link to intersecting pockets.

Logan gave us something so brash and idealized, in fact, that rumor now claims that Jackman's world-weary mutant may cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Some say that Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier might manifest, too. We've also heard about Ryan Reynolds' intended insertion as Stan the Man's cameo replacement. And then there's this whole double-Quicksilver thing which--ah, shoot, for the sake of squashing a major spoiler, I must go mum. (Watch WandaVision Episode #5 for that significant scoop.) 

I sure hope that many members of the Fox team do, indeed, show in the grand, mix-and-match Marvel Cinematic Universe plan. The alternate-reality scope of X-Men is too prolific not to nibble on, in particular with Disney now holding the anything-goes, rebooting reins. If made part of the  unfurling, zigzagging realities, X-Men holds the transforming tonic to be uplifting, sorrowful, thrilling and above all, surprising at the same and varying times: ideal flavoring for any MCU stew.  

Let's hope the House of the Mouse doesn't fumble the opportunist ball. The X-Men should rub elbows with such big-screen counterparts as the Avengers, Spidey and the Fantastic Four; and more than on specialized occasion, but on a hardy, indefinite basis. Fingers crossed that this tried-and-true band of uncanny irregulars ascends again into the coveted X-light. 

An Alternate Reality: Deadpool Enters Disney's MCU

Fans have wondered when (and if ever) Deadpool 3 (or a related X-Force movie) might surface. Some have presumed the proposed sequel would wallow in pre-production hell, in the measly manner Alien and Planet of the Apes sequels/prequels have gone through Disney. However, at long last, Deadpool 3 has been confirmed a go, and hold onto your seats, it's gonna be part of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, no less. (I wonder if Deadpool 2's trampling of Solo had any influence on this decision. I mean, why not water where the monetary flowers bloom, right?)

This confirmation sprinkles more credibility onto the notion that Old Logan/Wolverine will be featured in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, even if it's still up in the air whether Hugh Jackman will reprise his role. 

Nevertheless, if Ryan Reynolds is to star in and oversee Deadpool 3, one can only infer that negotiations have already commenced to secure Jackman in full, mutant mode. This could also lead to a reunion between the X-Men champions at some point, since Deadpool and Wolverine did spar in the latter's first, eponymous film, albeit with a far different angle than most had desired or anticipated. 

Another thing to consider is that Logan hit theaters R-rated, and of course, the Deadpool movies boast the same designation (except for that wraparound edition of Part 2 that was made to appease the timid). Will the razor-sharp, Fox approach to superheroes seep into Disney's bracketing? According to reports and promises, Deadpool 3 will be as rude and crude as its predecessors. If so, perhaps the same will go for any new X-Men additives, no matter the character variants or circumstances.

It was only a matter of time before the X-Men met the Avengers on the big screen. With parallel-universe confrontations creeping into both Marvel and DC live-action productions, the Deadpool/X-Men visitations seem not only logical, but shrewd.

But let's sure as hell hope the new brew doesn't ultimately go "woke" in the way of Star Wars. There's a tremendous opportunity here to achieve greatness if the mixing and matching bounces right. We sure don't need any dewdrop agenda to castrate it. 

HAPPY (SPIDEYPOOL) NEW YEAR 2020!!! (TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2018!!!

I saw Deadpool's Second Coming...

Awright!!! Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson/Merc the Mouth, is back and not too soon. His garrulous presence stands in direct, abrasive defiance of all the teens who'd have once flocked to the anti-hero's big-screen adventures, but now scorn such storytelling in the name of goose-stepping "sensitivity". 

Directed by David "Atomic Blonde" Leitch and scripted by Reynolds, Paul Wernick, and Rhett Reese, "Deadpool 2", like its predecessor, glorifies uniqueness as a brutal (and amusing) justice-brandishing tool. Reynolds makes it all jive, giving the irreverent mutant the unabashed, Looney Tunes vantage that sets his flick apart from even the most colorful of the current pack. Alas, as a second-comer, "Deadpool 2" isn't as fresh as the first, but so be it. It's no less entertaining for its extrapolated, shoot-from-the-hip gall.

This time Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza's Marvel celebrated creation protects a troubled, mutant lad named Firefist, aka Russell Collins (Julian "Paper Planes" Dennison), from extermination. The reason: The kid is to become a futuristic, mass murderer, but his fate might be altered, if only someone were to inspire him to turn the other cheek. 

The set-up ushers in Cable, aka Nathan Summers (Josh "Jonah Hex" Brolin, who's still ridin' high from his Thanos portrayal in "Infinity War") as the tale's time-travelin' cyborg-soldier and temporary antagonist, who sports a big gun, a teddy bear and projects the vengeful, if not justified need to kill the Human Torch heir apparent. Deadpool, of course, has other ideas, thanks to the discovery of his big heart.

To accompany his new mission, Deadpool has help (at varying points) from his established friends: Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna "Tragedy Girls" Hildebrand); Colossus (Stephan "Big Miracle" Kapicic); Weasel (T.J. "Cloverfield" Miller); Dopiner (Karin "Ghostbusters" Soni); Blind Al (the legendary Leslie Uggams); and the fetching Vanessa (Morena "Gotham" Baccarin), who becomes both doomed and blessed due to the story's ethereal dynamics. 

The old crew is joined by lucky Domino (Zazie Beetz); brain-bending Bedlam (Terry "The Thing" Crews); regurgitating Zeitgiest (Bill "It" Skarsgard); cocky Shatterstar (Lewis "Iron Fist" Tan); and average-guy-along-for-the-ride Peter (Robert "Bad Robots" Delaney): a knock-off of Marvel's enduring secret agent, Peter Wisdom. This add-on, motley crew distinguishes Wilson's X-Force team and through the assembly, our mad mercenary is able to fortify his sense of purpose and plan...well, maybe not. Most of the newbies don't last long, but hey, it's the valiant thought that counts.

The plot, as such, is never complex, nor need it be. The save-or-kill-the-kid premise brackets Wilson's wild tangents and vignettes, making "Deadpool 2" resemble a rough, reinterpreted "Laugh-In". Older fans will appreciate the approach; younger ones will (or would) miss the point, since most lack the daring decency to sneak a peek at any R-rated film or for that matter, any far-out fantasy, unless it's perhaps tradition-stompin' fodder like "Last Jedi". 

The film's jarring structure is fine, however, considering how well it fits Wilson's personality swings. Reynolds enables Deadpool's self-parodying stance to connect the outrageous dots (most of which turn cartoonishly violent), ultimately creating a sensible strand. The process is surreal as hell, but against conventional odds, it works like a charm, at least when one grows accustomed to it. (Fans of the first film will latch on without a hitch.)

Now, I must confess, Deadpool isn't generally my kind of superhero, but I'm still cool with him. His hyperactive crassness is what makes him fascinating: an alternative icon who, for whatever spontaneous cause, consistently strikes the right, unapologetic chord. Over and over, that's the ticket here: Deadpool breaks the rules, and the types of rules he breaks deserve to be broken, at least in the abstract way they're presented. 

Deadpool is also the embodiment of "Suicide Squad" with a wry, intrepid twist, layering on manic and mature expression for older moviegoers who've long had their fill of sugar-coated, Hitler Jugend mysticism and its consequential, fumigated wand-shaking. He reminds us that it's okay (maybe even essential) to dance on the edge, especially when dictatorial goons declare, "Don't!" 

"Deadpool 2", however, isn't afraid to layer such rebellion with chunks of family-spun sentimentality. In fact, both films drill the importance of family into one's head, but the mutant's marinated fans already know the score, having acquired this idiosyncratic benefaction through Marvel's pages. The X-Men, after all, do care about one another, as much as the members of any dysfunctional family can and will. 

Even with this precious message bleeding through its crazed antics, the self-proclaimed highbrows will probably condemn "Deadpool 2". On the other hand, those jerkenheimers do deserve some thanks, if only for making Deadpool a sensation among those who get his skewed shtick: I'm talkin' hard-workin' folks who are more than pleased to pay their hard-earned cash for wisecrackin' camaraderie. At the end of any sweat-brow day, that's the emblematic desire of any unsung class. Thank goodness, Deadpool is the ideal deplorable to deliver it.

I saw Deadpool...

As many know, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool (aka "Merc with the Mouth", to those in the special know), is nothing new. He played the character in “Wolverine: X-Men Origins”, though not in quite the same vein. Since “X-Men: Days of Future Past” twisted reality enough to justify reinvented angles within the mutant mythology, the Deadpool of the first Logan offshoot is but a ghostly imprint in the wake of this new and irreverent salute.

In director Tim Miller's current “reality”, scripted by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, Wilson is as much a sympathetic character as he is an affable goofball; and a clever mercenary plagued by cancer. In keeping with Deadpool's Marvel persona, he's also a quippy son of a gun, whether in regular or mutant form. 

Deadpool's genesis starts (or should that be, restarts?) when a mysterious recruiter (Jed Rees) offers Wilson a cure, but the strange substance (which our anti-hero initially receives via injection) changes Wade's physiological condition in more ways than one. After a long, torturous process, the cancer is gone, but his skin has become monstrously rippled. On the bright side, he's gained extraordinary, physical abilities, like being able to leap with ninja-like finesse through the air and kill opponents with only a few swift swipes...oh, and he has healing attributes that would make even the resilient Wolverine envious. 

This extraordinary alteration makes it hard for Wilson to interact with others, including his girlfriend, Vanessa (Morena "Gotham" Baccarin), to whom he's too ashamed to show himself. On the other hand, he's fine with his best buddy, Weasel (T.J. Miller) and his roommate, Blind Al (Leslie Uggams), who are more than at ease when delivering dry-humored jabs. 

The film is actually told in partial flashback, with Wilson already wearing his nifty, sword-strapped suit and kicking butt when the film commences. However, throughout it all, Deadpool (a name Wilson culls from a morbid bar game) remains a non-stop, wisecracking dynamo, which makes his brawls comedic despite their violent, R-rated frills. Also, being part of the X-Men world, he's accompanied by similar mutant ilk, like the powerful Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and the fiery Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), who keep an eye on our energetic buffoon as he seeks revenge on a villain who takes his name from Classic mythology--Ajax (Ed Skrein).

Ajax (aka Francis), we learn, was also transformed by the formula and was instrumental in Wilson's mutation: a ruse to make him part of a super-villain league. Wilson's hatred for Ajax is strong and worsens when his adversary kidnaps Vanessa, sending him over the uncontrollable edge. 

Ajax is a tough egg to crack, though, and his leverage is strengthened through his sadistic sidekick, Angel Dust (Gina Carano). The dastardly duo does everything it can to thwart Deadpool's quest to regain Vanessa, with most of the altercations occurring on urban turf, which gives the film a gritty, though sometimes dismal quality.

In truth, the story is far from innovative, but special in how it's told. Much of its success springs from Reynolds' annunciation: a sassy, borderline effeminate delivery, which winks and nods at the audience along the way. (Even Reynold's Hal Jordan/Green Lantern persona is poked fun at, as well as the actor himself.) Through his verbosity, Wilson/Deadpool puts the audience at ease and in on the joke, but never goes so far as to make the action a full-fledged spoof: a smart move, for only "Batman '66" ever handled tongue-in-cheek with consistent ease.

It should be noted that some viewers will find the film's stark violence and colorful language offensive. (This reaction has been projected prior to the film's release, with a parent petitioning for a kid-friendly version, or was such just a clever, publicity ploy?) Don't get me wrong, I generally fancy my superheroes a tad more on the straight and narrow than the smart-alecky Deadpool, but with the vast amount of superhero movies and television shows populating current culture, there's more than enough to go around. It just so happens that this entry (like the "Kick-Ass", "RoboCop" and "Toxic Avenger" installments) is aimed at a mature audience (though I'm sure ballsier kids will be happy to indulge). Those not ready for such austerity would be wise to avoid it, or at least wait until they're older (or bolder) to tackle its flamboyant excess.

Personally, I think "Deadpool" is a pretty good picture, and in the end (SPOILER!), everything pretty much works out in a weird, feel-good sort of way. It's not the greatest superhero movie ever made, but it more than holds its own with the competition, giving a nice, personable touch to an otherwise predictable set-up. More importantly, it toys with the X-Men mythology without ever demeaning it; and perhaps if there's any reason to recommend the film, it's for that astonishing accomplishment alone.