Deadpool & Wolverine is the long-awaited swansong to the X-Men and Marvel movies from the 2000s, simultaneously providing an ending to those franchises while connecting them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While it is an exciting film filled with countless cameos and callbacks, those very aspects also serve as the fundamental weakness of not just this movie, but that of superhero franchises as a whole.

The film picks up several years after Deadpool 2, and sees Wade Wilson captured by the Time Variance Authority (introduced in the Loki television series). He is told that his universe is doomed due to the death of Wolverine (as seen in the film Logan), who happened to be the "anchor being" in his respective timeline. Wade sets off across the multiverse to find a replacement Wolverine, and many multiversal shenanigans follow.

If that basic premise alone sounds confusing, that is because this film not only requires viewers to have knowledge on the previous Deadpool and X-Men movies, but also the entirety of the MCU, Marvel films produced by Twentieth Century Fox, and, I kid you not, cancelled film projects as well. 

In short, this film is meant to cater towards longtime Marvel fans. That being said, it does not mean casual audiences cannot find the film enjoyable at all. It's just that a lot of the enjoyment is meant to be derived from references and Easter eggs. While the film has Deadpool's character break the fourth-wall in an attempt to work around the continuity issues and over-reliance on references, the plot still remains the weakest aspect of the film.

Nonetheless, the individual character arcs of the titular heroes and Hugh Jackman's returning performance as Logan are the biggest redeeming factors of this movie. Deadpool's desire to truly "matter" as a hero, Logan trying to make up for failing the X-Men of his world, and their shared growth can make you overlook the otherwise convoluted events in the film. The movie has several entertaining fight scenes, and the comedy feels more natural compared to most MCU films. As stated before, Deadpool makes lots of self-aware jokes about the MCU and superhero movies which provide entertaining meta commentary.

Deadpool & Wolverine sees many returning characters from Marvel films which predated the MCU, and tries to give them a tribute. If you are someone who grew up watching the Marvel movies from the 2000s, your nostalgia will be catered to. Seeing Hugh Jackman finally don a comic accurate Wolverine costume after 24 years is bound to make any Marvel fan happy. The actor also provide a very passionate performance contrasting the comedic focus of the film. Some of the scenes involving Logan recalling his past provides much needed gravitas to the movie. With Wolverine being one of my favourite Marvel heroes of all time, the portrayal of the character in this film struck a personal and nostalgic chord with me, enough to excuse the aforementioned grievances I had with the plot. 

In conclusion, as someone who grew up being a fan of all of these movies and comic books, I did have a great time watching Deadpool & Wolverine. If you are a lifelong fan of Marvel Comics, this movie is easy to recommend. However, I cannot vouch that someone who is not entirely familiar with all these franchises will enjoy the film to the same extent.