Deadpool & Wolverine is another massive hit for Marvel, and its success shows that the blame for Marvel's inconsistent Multiverse Saga may be misguided. Despite Marvel's recent struggles, Deadpool & Wolverine was a surefire hit for the MCU timeline. Fox's Deadpool films performed incredibly well and audiences couldn't wait to see the Merc With The Mouth team up with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Fortunately, the film performed beyond expectations. It's currently passed $1.29 billion worldwide and has a good chance of crossing $1.3 billion before the end of its theatrical run.
Custom image by Yeider ChaconDeadpool & Wolverine is now the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever, and audiences continue to return to theaters to see it. However, its success may be more meaningful than just stating that audiences enjoy watching its heroes. The film is a multiversal story, as the titular pair encounters variants of characters from the Fox Universe and the MCU. The multiverse is often criticized as the main issue behind Marvel's struggles, but Deadpool & Wolverine's box office results prove the multiverse is not the prominent issue.
Deadpool & Wolverine's Box Office Proves The Multiverse Is Not The Problem With The Multiverse Saga
Deadpool & Wolverine follows a recent MCU trend.
The MCU has been inconsistent since Avengers: Endgame, both in the quality of its content and the content's success, whether at the box office or on streaming. While film and television are subjective, one thing that's objective is how well the MCU's multiverse films have performed at the box office. Every MCU film with a storyline centered around the multiverse has done well. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness made $955.8 million worldwide, and Spider-Man: No Way Home grossed $1.92 billion worldwide.
On streaming, Loki is centered largely around the MCU's multiverse, and it's regarded as one of Marvel's best shows. While Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania didn't do great at the box office, it was also focused on the Quantum Realm instead of the multiverse, changing the degree with which it can be perceived as a multiversal movie. Deadpool & Wolverine follows the trend that multiverse projects perform well at the box office and are usually received well by critics and audiences. Only two MCU projects since Endgame have grossed more than $1 billion at the box office, and they're both multiverse projects.
The Multiverse Saga Has Too Many Characters And Storylines With Little Connective Tissue
The Multiverse Saga isn't as focused as the Infinity Saga.
Deadpool & Wolverine calls out the MCU's multiverse problem, saying it's just been miss after miss since Endgame. However, it's ironic that Deadpool suggests that the multiverse is the issue, as it's part of the reason for the film's success. Deadpool & Wolverine's cameos draw from several different universes, and the multiverse was the only way to bring back Jackman's Wolverine without ruining Logan. As such, Deadpool's blame is misguided, as it should be pointed at the MCU's lack of direction for Phase 4 & Phase 5.
The MCU is creating the road toward Avengers: Secret Wars, but trying to connect all the pieces has been rough. It's been three years since Shang-Chi and Eternals, two films with significant events that could impact the MCU. Shang-Chi still hasn't returned or received any updates, and the events of Eternals are being addressed over three years later in Captain America: Brave New World. The lack of cohesion also arguably led to poor box office results for Ant-Man 3 and The Marvels, as general audiences aren't as invested in the MCU's current storyline.
Marvel Needs To Establish New Main Characters For The MCU After Avengers: Secret Wars
Marvel needs to figure out who its leading characters are before the next Avengers movie.
The other issue with the Multiverse Saga is too many new characters have been introduced with no leading figures. The MCU continues to bring in new characters, like Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi, and the Eternals, while established MCU characters, like Doctor Strange and Thor, appear too infrequently. Several of these characters have been introduced on Disney+, which has backfired for Marvel, since many film viewers are not watching the TV shows.
The barrage of new characters and storylines can make the universe feel disjointed, and audiences don't want to do homework so they can catch up before the next MCU project. While Deadpool & Wolverine does have many characters from different films, it doesn't require audiences to know everything about them to enjoy their appearance. There are plenty of valid criticisms about the multiverse, but saying it is the thing ruining the MCU is anything but the truth, and the franchise's box office proves it.
