High density The promotional materials contain clues, hints, callbacks, allusions, Easter eggs, etc. Deadpool and Wolverine It’s dizzying. Just look at the Super Bowl teaser trailer, the “Like a Prayer” sequel trailer that dropped on April 22, the series of clips Marvel released when tickets went on sale on May 20, or this in-depth analysis of the “Lady Deadpool” trailer that dropped last week.
Fans spotted dozens of characters from previous films making cameo appearances. (These devotees were convinced there was evidence Jennifer Garner would return as Elektra, based only on a few frames in which she appeared to have her leg and elbow.) They pieced together a complex timeline of the story based on subtle changes in the characters’ clothing from shot to shot.
They noticed subtle differences between the versions of the trailer released on different platforms: The one posted by Reynolds features a tiny QR code between Hugh Jackman’s legs that, when decoded, opens a self-deprecating disclaimer video, as well as a homage to Reynolds’ sports reality series. Welcome to Wrexham He also references the infamous fact that Rob Liefeld, the comic book artist who created Deadpool, had trouble drawing realistic feet.
Indeed, movie studios have long been baiting die-hard superhero fans to pique interest in upcoming films. More than 35 years ago, the sizzle-reel trailer for Tim Burton’s first Batman movie became a pop-culture sensation in its own right. (“The most talked-about ‘upcoming attraction’ in recent memory elicited applause and cheers,” Joe Morgenstern wrote in a 1989 New York Times article.) Many superhero trailers feature deep cuts that reward thorough knowledge of the source material. Marvel trailers in particular have been full of fanboy mawkishness ever since IP impresario Kevin Feige kicked off the MCU. Iron Man.
“That’s been his main source of income since 2008,” Voss said. “But Deadpool and Wolverine It’s reached a level never seen before.”
Extreme self-awareness Deadpool has always been a superhero who stepped outside of the narrative to speak directly to readers and viewers. “The character is perfect for meta,” says Ben Fritz, the Wall Street Journal editor who produced the podcast series. With Great Power: The Rise of the Superhero Movie And wrote a book The bigger picture: The battle for the future of cinema.
The references also fit with the current pop culture climate, as superhero blockbusters as a whole are experiencing a meta era, with crossovers from alternate universes and multiple versions of the same characters popping up everywhere.
Self-awareness has also long been key to Reynolds’ brand. The Deadpool series marked the first time Reynolds relaunched his career, reinventing himself as a marketing genius determined to get the jokes in front of audiences. Before he made tongue-in-cheek viral ads for Mint Mobile and Aviation Gin, he got the green light to make a Deadpool movie from 20th Century Fox after test footage was “accidentally” leaked onto the web in 2014. It ends with Reynolds echoing the catchphrase of a forgettable 1980s Sly Stallone action movie: CobraAnd then we got to the studio executives who finally gave us the go ahead to make the film.
“Reynolds has a cavalier attitude toward the fourth wall, and the Deadpool movies have always been lampoons of other superhero movies,” Voss says. Before Reynolds convinced Hugh Jackman to reprise the role of Wolverine in the latest film, he had his character Deadpool wear a mask made from a portrait of Jackman cut out of the cover of People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. Reynolds has openly said the film will poke fun at Marvel’s parent company, Disney, and the ruins of the iconic 20th Century Fox monolith can even be seen elsewhere in the trailer.
The two studios themselves are integral to the new film’s storyline: The X-Men series and the vast Mutantverse of which Deadpool is a part were previously Fox properties and separate from the official Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney acquired 21st Century Fox a few years ago, and this film is the first to fully merge the Mutantverse with the MCU.Deadpool and Wolverine “This is a transitional opportunity for Disney as they try to consolidate all these assets,” Fritz said.
