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Deadpool 3 has finally revealed its official title, Deadpool & Wolverine. I might have gone with Deadpool 3 & Wolverine in the style of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but I see the vision. The first two films launched without subtitles, and the third outing has ditched the straightforward number scheme. The new name initially inspired laughter, but there’s more to it than lazy brand recognition. It looks stupid, but it might be the culmination of these characters’ shared narratives.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Title Is a Bit on the Nose
If you know one thing about Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s that both Deadpool and Wolverine are in it. Deadpool 3 is a consistent title, but it offers no reminder of the film’s chief marketing angle. The sudden change suggests desperation. I saw tons of folks on Twitter laughing at the perceived studio mandate that might have necessitated the alteration. You picture a man in a suit shouting at the creative team, demanding to know how people could be expected to know they got Hugh Jackman if his character’s name isn’t in the title. It implies a lack of faith in the audience. It’s also just a slightly clunky monicker. Deadpool & Wolverine are two of roughly one thousand characters in this ensemble piece. Imagine if Spider-Man: Homecoming had to call itself Spider-Man & Iron Man to promise Robert Downey Jr.’s presence.
Deadpool & Wolverine‘s title isn’t terrible, but it feels oddly appropriate for its place in the genre. Superhero movies are suffering the fate of all great empires. They’ve grown themselves to death, and now, with no lands left to conquer, they slide toward ruin. Many fans have nominated Wade Wilson as the savior of the sinking genre. He grants himself that title, assuring his handler that he will be “Marvel Jesus.” This optimistic outlook comes after years of bemoaning the risk of Disney ruining Deadpool. This is the first Deadpool film released since the Mouse acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019. Every change they make risks losing faith. That’s why that pegging joke made the trailer. Altering the title implies Disney’s worst impulses, trying to sell a movie on its cameos instead of its quality. That assumption, however fair, assumes that Deadpool & Wolverine wasn’t always the intended title.
Deadpool & Wolverine is a Punchline
Listing two character names might not be a frequent title format in film, but it’s all over comics. Batman/Judge Dredd, Justice League/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and The Punisher Meets Archie are all known crossover events. Many comic series love to list their heroes in their titles. Wade Wilson starred in Spider-Man/Deadpool, Cable and Deadpool, and even Black Panther vs. Deadpool. What do you notice about those titles? Deadpool always gets second billing. He has his solo series, but outside of it, he’s almost always listed after the other, more popular hero. The most on-the-nose example comes from Marvel UK’s Collector’s Edition line. The English publisher set out to sell Wade Wilson’s adventures packaged next to his best friend, Logan. They called the ongoing collection Wolverine & Deadpool. The first three volumes came with three Wolverine stories and one Deadpool outing. That ratio reversed in 2016.
Wolverine enjoys top billing on most of his projects. The most hilarious example is the 2009 cartoon Wolverine and the X-Men. They singled out his name as if he wasn’t on the team, just to promote him as its most iconic member. The X-Men: Origins film brand started with Wolverine and abruptly stopped. He’s not guaranteed the first slot in the comics, but he enjoys it often. Wolverine and Ghost Rider, Wolverine/Nick Fury, Wolverine/Punisher, and so on. Wolverine has always been one of the most popular Marvel heroes. Thanks to Hugh Jackman, his on-screen iteration is one of the most consistently excellent in the genre. Now, returning from retirement to correct a mistake made over a decade ago and finally meeting one of his best-loved cohorts, he arrives just in time to see Deadpool take top billing. It’s hilarious and perfectly sets the tone for the film.
Deadpool & Wolverine could wield its title as a subversive gag, finally giving Wade his flowers. It could also be the culmination of a rise in popularity that started with the beginning of this trilogy. It could even be a cynical marketing decision designed to remind the audience of Wolverine’s presence. Hugh Jackman’s response to the trailer on Twitter certainly suggests an intentional gag. Either way, Deadpool 3 is a boring title. Deadpool & Wolverine is a funnier name that fits nicely into the characters’ shared stories.
