Does it live up to the previous two?

Deadpool & Wolverine is finally released in cinemas this week, and we now have the first reactions to the eagerly-awaited MCU movie.

The movie brings together Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman for their MCU debuts as Deadpool and Wolverine team up to save Deadpool’s world from an unknown threat which may, or may not be, Emma Corrin’s Cassandra Nova.

Following its world premiere on Monday night (July 22), those lucky few to have already seen Deadpool 3 have taken to social media to share their first reactions.

So does Deadpool & Wolverine live up to the previous two movies?

IndieWire‘s Mike Ryan gave the sequel a rave review, writing on Twitter / X: “Deadpool & Wolverine smokes. So much fun. And a love letter (hate that term, but that’s what it is) to the Fox era of Marvel movies. I assumed it would be violent based on how much Marvel’s been selling that, but I’d say it’s the most gory of the three.”

Collider‘s Ross Bonaime praised the way the movie expands Deadpool’s “sandbox”, writing: “My biggest problem with Deadpool has been that he’s playing in too small of a sandbox. That…is not the case with Deadpool and Wolverine. A true love letter to the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel and such a weird, bloody, surprising delight. Thanks Marvel Jesus.”

“LFG! Absolutely loved Deadpool and Wolverine – yes the cameos and surprises are epic, and the humour, action, blood-soaked fights and needle drops are tremendous, too… but it’s the respect and love for the characters that win you over,” Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes‘ Erik Davis wrote.

“This is the ultimate Deadpool movie. It is the ultimate Wolverine movie. It’s a damn good time and the best of the three Deadpool movies, for sure. Have fun!”

The Nerds of Color‘s Michael Lee called it “the MCU multiverse film we’ve been waiting for”, adding that it is a “deliciously self-deprecating, ruthlessly violent, absolutely hilarious buddy roadtrip action comedy with a sick soundtrack”.

“Deadpool and Wolverine is the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year. I’m not sure how it’ll play on a second watch, because half the fun are the surprises. STAY OFF THE INTERNET!,” added ComicBook.com‘s Jamie Jirak.

“I feel so satisfied as a Marvel fan AND as someone whose fav movie is Grease. Also, I cried.”

Other early reactions were similarly positive, with Deadpool and Wolverine being called “the funniest MCU project ever & (of course) the goriest” as well as “Marvel’s f**king love letter to comics and the characters in it”.

Ahead of its release, Deadpool & Wolverine has been confirmed to be the longest Deadpool movie at 127 minutes and 45 seconds long. It’s also the first MCU movie to be rated R in the US and a 15 in the UK.

Director Shawn Levy – who also co-wrote and produced the movie – told Digital Spy that he was keen to set the tone instantly.

“You set a tone with the first five minutes of every movie, and maybe it was even more important on this because there were so many questions about would the tone be sanitised? And the answer is an emphatic no,” he explained.

“We knew [the opening] would be bold but we knew it would be a tone-setter and it would tell the audience, as it hopefully did, yeah it’s still Deadpool and yeah this movie is built for audacious joy.”

Deadpool & Wolverine is released in UK cinemas on July 25 and in US cinemas on July 26