#peter (deadpool)

I laughed almost non-stop watching Deadpool & Wolverine. The crass and gross and the ridiculous are mixed in with just a bit of clever. And then there's the pure joy of watching to almost indestructible dudes killing each other in violent ways (it's a WB cartoon kind of fun).

But as always it's the layer below the humour that really hits. And in a prefect Deadpool way this one worked both in the movie but also on the meta level. It's the story of a failed superhero that the Avengers didn't want and whose girlfriend left. Here trying to save his world to save his friends. He gets a second chance at being who he always wanted to be but the price is abandoning everyone he came up with. MCU and Sacred Timeline is one person deal. But this is where Multiverse pays off. It means he can keep his friends and timeline. He just has to fight cybernocracy that would rather dismantle it instantly first.

And it's a story of a fallen studio which movies lost the audience and couldn't find the right way to tell it's stories (with extra layer of Disney's Marvel being on precipice of that too now). All it's properties buried and replaced for a new shinier thing. We could move on and only acknowledge the pieces that haven't been tarnished. And yet, this movie looks back at it all, and brings back the discarded ridiculed. Including the ones we never even got. Using Void to discard them and Alioth to eat them into oblivion is such a prefect metaphor you'd think it was invented for this Film. It's a prefect integration of MCU ideas for the plot of this one story.

The whole movie is practically a tribute to the early days of Marvel and superhero movies that created the momentum that MCU then built it's 30 billion empire on. This is what makes each cameo count. It isn't there just for a joke or Easter Egg moment but it ties to the theme of the story, We are revisiting the forgotten heroes, the fallen ones, the ones who never got to be. And if we are lucky the ones who still might be (please, please let us keep Daphne Keen).

It's also a reminder of how long both Jackman and Reynolds have been in this. The first X-Men movie came out 24 years ago. Reynolds was in Blade: Trinity 20 years ago. I don't think it's an accident a lot of those cameos went to the beginnings with Pyro and Electra. And even with the MCU actors reminding us they started in Fox as Evans came back as Johnny Storm. Even Jon Favreau cameo as Happy Hogan was a reminder he was once Foggy Nelson in Daredevil. This was reunion movie in more ways than one.

And the behind the scenes of those movies, the whole history of Fox Marvel films really hit you in the end. Even the failures like the last Fantastic Four. Even to the X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the Deadpool abomination there. This is what got us here. This is for all the fun we had over the years with these characters and superheroes in general. This was the start.

Of course, Deadpool wouldn't be Deadpool if they didn't desecrate and made fun of the very thing they were paying tribute too. Both the initial fight and any reference to Fox made sure of that. Reminding us that even the best parts of the past shouldn't be sacred. You should build new stories and not be afraid to change. There will be new Blade. And a new Johnny Storm. And maybe a new Deadpool and Wolverine one day too (long, long time from now apparently 😋).

Everything seems to be going too fast yet too slow in Logan’s eyes. Everything seems wrong yet right, like a dream that won’t let you wake up out of. His heart rings in his ears, pounding buh-dum buh-dum. The eyes of Wades friends loom over him.

They’re all mad, they all hate me. Why can’t I do anything right?! why are they looking at me like that?

Wade invited Vanessa, Ellie, Yukio, Colossus, and Peter to his birthday celebration at Peter Pans Pizza Adventure. And although Wade seemed to have a good time, Logan completely ruined it, or at least that’s what’s Logan thinks. 

His eyes look around frantically taking in the stares of everyone and settles on wades big brown eyes, so soft yet hardened with concern. Wade is so afraid for him, so concerned. He doesn’t know what to do(Wade or Logan, take your pick.) and it’s starting to show. 

Logan panics pulling his shaking hands away from wades soft grasp on them and hides the shaking under the table. What good that will do when Logan is basically trembling, who knows. But that’s all Logan can seem to come up with in his racing state. A woman nearby seems to see this, leaving her child at the table to see what’s wrong. The woman has long blonde hair and glasses. She approaches Logan, seeing his state.

“Excuse me?” The woman alerts Wade.

“This is your…?” The woman says calmly. 

Wade just scrambles to talk, finally at a loss for words.

“Boyfriend… I don’t know what’s wrong with him. His hands started shaking and he started to panic and…” he trails off.

“My name is Heather. Can I please try something to help your boyfriend calm down?” She asks. Wade doesn’t know what the actual FUCK is going on, but the sincerity of her voice persuades Wade to nod.

Heather grabs Logan’s hand, steadying it gently.

“Pardon me…?” She asks, getting Logan’s attention.

the woman smiles when Logan’s eyes land on hers.

“My name is Heather… just let the air go in and out, alright?” She says, in a gentle and soft tone. Logan complies and lets the air release from his lungs, trying to maintain a steady breathing pace.

“Good… now, can you please close your eyes and listen. Listen to two things you can hear.” Heather instructs. Logan’s eyes close, centering his focus to his ears.

The kids.. all of them cheering. Sounds like one of them won the arcade game…

The clicking of the cash register in the back of the restaurant…

As he continues to find more sounds, he hears another comman- -no.. request. 

“Can you please smell two things?” Heather asks quietly, trying to not startle him in his search for sounds.

Logan nods, his heart rate slows a bit.

He smells pizza in the kitchen, almost burning… and the cooks strong cologne, tickling Logan’s nose harshly.

“Can you open your eyes and look for two things…?” Heather requests.

Logan didn’t realize his eyes were still closed. He opens them and sees Heathers smile.

One…

Logan looks for another things, he turns his head ever so slightly and sees wades face, his eyes soft again. His scars a muted pink, and a slight smile dancing on his lips. Relief radiating off of the mercenary.

Two…

Logan’s heart and breathing have slowed down to a normal pace. The woman smiles again as she watches Wade pull Logan in for a hug, holding him protectively.

“Thank you… thank you Heather. This big kitty cat is one big mess, my mess.” Wade jokes.

“Have my number. Call me anytime your Boyfriend or any of your friends seem overwhelmed. I’m always open.” Heather says, handing Wade a card with her phone number as she returns to her kids.

Logan doesn’t mind as Wade holds him, his body heat soothing. Wades friends marvel at the sight of Wade holding his more aggressive partner protectively. By the end of the night, wades friends wished Wade a happy birthday and left with a slice of green Peter Pan cake.

Wade and Logan went back to the apartment, changed into night clothing. Logan sat on the counter, Wade in front of him standing.

“I’m sorry for ruining your night…” Logan says softly, in a vulnerable voice that made wades heart both ache and skip a beat.

“Peanut, peanut, peanut…” Wade says quickly with a laugh.

“You could never ruin my night. Listen.. I’m always a big mess, and you know it. You don’t have to apologize for anything that you did or what happens to you.” Wade says.

“I just.. the last couple of weeks I’ve had this overwhelming anxiety that what I said in the Honda was still with you… that you hated me for it.” Logan says shamefully, hanging his head low. Wade lifts his chin to look into his eyes, and Logan, his.

“It is still with me… but you owned up to it, you regret it and I could NEVER hate you for that, understand?” Wade says, in a serious tone. 

Logan nods the corners of his mouth tilt up. Logan grabs Wade and wraps his legs around his waist, pulling him close while he’s sitting on the counter. Wade embraces him back, nuzzling his face into Logan’s kitty ears.

“Happy birthday, bub.”