Is Deadpool & Wolverine right for your family?

This review covers common concerns — screen for what YOUR family cares about.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Movie

Deadpool & Wolverine is a highly anticipated R-rated superhero film that marks Deadpool's official entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, accompanied by Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine. The movie is an action-comedy that continues the foul-mouthed mercenary's tradition of breaking the fourth wall and delivering crude humor alongside intense, graphic violence. It is designed for mature audiences familiar with the existing Deadpool franchise and its distinct tone, blending irreverent comedy with explicit content. The film's narrative involves Deadpool being pulled into a multiversal adventure, forcing him to team up with Wolverine, promising a dynamic of both conflict and camaraderie. The content is consistently adult-oriented, maintaining the franchise's reputation for strong language, gore, and sexual references, making it unsuitable for younger viewers.

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Concerns

LGBTQ & Gender Identity

High

The film explicitly features LGBTQ+ characters and contains numerous jokes related to Deadpool's pansexuality, leading to discussions about queerbaiting. While the director embraces Deadpool's 'pansexual openness,' some viewers and critics felt the humor often played on queer stereotypes rather than providing meaningful representation.

Deadpool's canonical pansexuality is frequently referenced through his flirtatious banter with various characters, including Wolverine. The film includes Negasonic Teenage Warhead and her girlfriend Yukio as an openly committed same-sex couple, marking their continued presence from previous installments. Critics and audience members have noted a 'constant stream of gay jokes,' with some centering around 'anal sex and erections,' leading to accusations that the film uses 'gay jokes' as punchlines and for 'laughing *at*, not *with*' the LGBTQ+ community.

Violence

High

Deadpool & Wolverine features extensive and graphic violence, consistent with its R-rating. The intensity of gore and bloody depictions is noted to be potentially amplified compared to prior films in the franchise.

The movie includes 'strong bloody violence,' 'gore,' and 'graphic comic book violence' where numerous characters are injured and killed. One scene depicts Wade Wilson (Deadpool) desecrating an iconic grave and using its contents as weapons in a 'very bloody melee' against TVA soldiers. Another particularly graphic moment involves a hero being 'flayed alive' on screen, though presented with a comedic tone. Cassandra Nova's telekinetic powers are used disturbingly, shown with her 'probing her long fingers into a human skull as if it's Play-Doh'.

Romance and Sexual Content

High

While the movie reportedly contains no explicit sex scenes or nudity, it is permeated with strong sexual references, crude humor, and visual gags centered on sexual situations. Deadpool's character often drives much of this content.

The film is rated R for 'sexual references,' featuring 'lots of jokes about different sexual situations and harsh language used to describe it'. Deadpool engages in 'crude humor throughout the run time, with visual gags to add to the vulgarity,' and makes 'multiple comments about sex'. Despite the lack of explicit sexual acts, Deadpool's pansexuality is often expressed through 'sexual tension with everything and everyone,' including flirtatious banter with Wolverine and jokes involving anal sex.

Profanity

High

The movie contains frequent and extremely strong profanity throughout its runtime, utilizing a wide range of explicit language consistent with the Deadpool franchise's established tone.

The film is characterized by 'strong language throughout,' 'extended very strong and crude language,' and 'constant strong and crude language'. Deadpool is a 'foul-mouthed' character, and the dialogue is consistently laden with expletives. Notably, even a typically 'clean-cut MCU hero' delivers a 'torrent of profanity' in an end-credit scene, which is highlighted as potentially surprising for parents.

Scary & Intense Content

High

Beyond the graphic violence, the film features genuinely disturbing imagery and intense situations, particularly from the villain, that could be frightening or cause nightmares for sensitive viewers.

The villain, Cassandra Nova, is described as introducing a 'new level of MCU WTF' with her telekinetic powers, capable of 'probing her long fingers into a human skull as if it's Play-Doh,' a visual deemed 'disturbing' and capable of causing 'nightmares'. Cassandra also 'grips Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) by the face like he’s a rotten piece of fruit,' showcasing a menacing and intense display of power.

Disrespect & Rebellion

High

Deadpool's character is inherently disrespectful and rebellious, consistently challenging authority, breaking the fourth wall, and using sarcastic, insulting language as a core part of his persona and humor.

Deadpool, as a character, is known for his 'raunchy humor' and 'vulgar sensibilities,' which frequently involve disrespecting norms and authority. He often 'trashes Wolverine' in a way that suggests a rebellious and provocative dynamic. His constant meta-commentary and breaking of the fourth wall are acts of defiance against traditional narrative structures, and he often makes 'insults' based on sexuality.

Found 6 high-concern themes. Want to set your own sensitivity levels?

Substance Use

Medium

The movie includes references to and depictions of substance use, specifically alcohol consumption and mentions of illegal drugs, reflecting the adult nature of the characters and their world.

Parental guides mention 'drinking and alcohol abuse' present in the film. There are also explicit 'references to cocaine,' indicating drug use is discussed or implied within the narrative.

Witchcraft & Occult

Low

There is no indication of witchcraft, sorcery, occult rituals, or overt demonic themes in the available information about Deadpool & Wolverine. The supernatural elements are primarily tied to mutant abilities and multiversal travel rather than occult practices.

The narrative revolves around mutant powers and concepts like the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and alternate timelines, which are elements of science fiction and comic book lore, not traditional occultism or witchcraft. [No specific examples from search results for this concern.]

Anti-Christian Themes

Low

There is no explicit evidence in the search results to suggest overt anti-Christian themes, mockery of Christian beliefs, or sacrilegious acts against Christian symbols. The film's irreverence is generally broad and aimed at pop culture and superhero tropes, not specific religious doctrines.

While Deadpool's humor is universally irreverent and offensive, the provided information does not highlight specific instances of mockery or criticism directed towards Christianity or Christian symbols. The character's crude humor and strong language are generalized rather than religiously targeted.

Other Notes

Target Demographic

The movie is rated R and contains strong bloody violence, pervasive crude language, gore, and sexual references. It is recommended for audiences aged 17 and older due to its explicit and mature content, which includes graphic depictions of violence and frequent offensive dialogue. Younger viewers will find the content inappropriate and potentially disturbing.

Additional Notes

Parents should be aware that despite being part of the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool & Wolverine fully embraces its R-rating, maintaining and potentially intensifying the mature content of previous Deadpool films. The blending of graphic violence with comedic tones may be particularly unsettling for some viewers. The film also features two post-credit scenes, one mid-credits and one at the very end, with one containing an 'extra dose of rough language'.

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Is Deadpool & Wolverine right for your family?

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