Deadpool and Wolverine are set to slash their way into the MCU after decades behind 20th Century Fox’s doors in Deadpool & Wolverine, the MCU’s only movie for 2024. With the appearance of these two iconic, vulgar, and violent heroes finally entering the MCU, it’s time to look back on the history of Marvel movies and shows and consider what are the most essential watches for Deadpool & Wolverine.

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Whilst director Shawn Levy has stated that Deadpool & Wolverine is built for entertainment, and audiences do not need prior research, fans of the characters, or those curious about them, can watch a few old favorites to enrich the experience surrounding these red and yellow heroes debuting in the MCU through multiverse shenanigans.

8 X-Men (2000)

The First Time Hugh Jackman Became Wolverine, An Introduction to Mutants

It’s a great idea to start where it all began, before the MCU was even a concept, and the Mutants won the box office. X-Men was the first time audiences were introduced to the Mutants in live-action, and it was also the first time Hugh Jackman put on the iconic claws of Wolverine, a character that would remain his iconic role over 2 decades later, and sees him return once more, but this time, in yellow spandex.

X-Men is a great introduction to the world of Mutants, not only to see how they are viewed by the public, but to see how they work as a team. Wolverine’s place in the X-Men is usually as an outcast, where he develops feelings of kinship within the team, so that dynamic will be interesting to see when a new Wolverine is paired with Deadpool against old foes.

7 X2: X-Men United (2003)

Wolverine's Relationship With the X-Men Continues

X-Men 2 further delves into the mysterious past of Wolverine, as he and his team of Mutants attempt to thwart the plans of William Stryker, Wolverine’s creator. X2 doesn’t involve Deadpool, but it’s a good place to continue the journey of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine as he further cements himself as a pillar of the core team, especially when his relationship with Jean Grey and rivalry with Cyclops come into play.

X2 will help audiences learn more about the Mutants, and Wolverine’s place within the X-Men. This place that he calls home, these people that he calls family, will surely come to haunt him when audiences learn what happened to them to the Wolverine seen in Deadpool & Wolverine.

6 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

The First Time Deadpool and Wolverine Met On-Screen

Whilst X-Men Origins: Wolverine isn’t held in the highest regard, it’s still worth a watch to see alternate versions of the characters put to screen in Deadpool & Wolverine. For X-Men Origins: Wolverine, fans will watch the origins of Wolverine throughout the decades, as well as his first meeting with Wade Wilson, played by Ryan Reynolds. The chemistry between the two is already great, if not too brief.

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine is also infamous for how it treats Wade Wilson’s character, so to see Wolverine and Deadpool back and better than ever in the MCU for Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s expected that X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be the butt of many jokes, so it’s a good idea to understand this movie’s place.

5 Deadpool (2016)

Deadpool was a hard journey for Ryan Reynolds and co. After the butchery of his character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and a studio that was seemingly uninterested in an R-rated fourth-wall-breaking superhero, fans rallied together to make it known that this is exactly what they wanted. Deadpool hit theaters in 2016 with astounding success as both a hilarious action comedy and a great introduction to Deadpool’s wacky and tragic world.

Watching Deadpool should be essential, as this version of the character is the one who has his story continue for Deadpool & Wolverine. Understanding where the character started will enrich the journey of seeing him again, especially when one understands how big of a risk Deadpool was for the studio, only to now see him lead the MCU into a new era.

4 Logan (2017)

The Finale to Hugh Jackman's Tenure as Wolverine

After the success of Deadpool as an R-rated superhero movie, fans clamored for Wolverine to receive the same bloody treatment, which is exactly what they got with the release of Logan. Logan was a more somber film, showcasing the iconic Hugh Jackman-led Wolverine in his final years, where his powers are dwindling, and the world is moving on without Mutants.

Logan is an emotional journey, and a beautiful watch, both for the story it tells of Logan and Charles Xavier helping a young girl reach a new home, and for the fact that this was the last time Hugh Jackman wore the adamantium claws before retiring from the character. Whilst Logan is its own thing in the multiverse, it’s a good idea to watch where the character could end up in a timeline where Deadpool doesn’t interfere with his life.

3 Deadpool 2 (2018)

Discover Wade's Meddlings With Time Travel

The very first words spoken in Deadpool 2 showcase what kind of relationship Deadpool and Wolverine have with each other, since Deadpool has nothing but harsh words about his clawed friend dying in Logan, leaving the potential of a team-up off the table. Deadpool 2 is a great watch, as Deadpool is thrown into the action to stop a time-traveling mercenary from killing a young Mutant, all whilst dealing with his own grief.

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Deadpool 2 is perhaps the most essential watch for Deadpool & Wolverine, as Deadpool gets into some time-traveling shenanigans by the end of the movie, including several fixes (or breakage) of timelines where he kills the X-Men Origins: Wolverine version of himself, and even assassinates Ryan Reynolds for signing on for Green Lantern. Deadpool using time travel to fix his life will certainly come back to bite him when the TVA finds him in Deadpool & Wolverine.

2 Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Experience the Large World That Deadpool is Soon to Populate

Whilst Deadpool and Wolverine do not appear in Avengers: Endgame, it’s a good place to start before watching Deadpool & Wolverine, due to the fact that this is when the MCU opened its doors to the possibility of the multiverse. In Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers branch off into different timelines to bring back the fallen from Thanos’ snap in Avengers: Infinity War.

Avengers: Endgame is a triumph that celebrates the decade of MCU movies. Audiences will see iconic heroes in an established world, like Iron Man and Captain America, which begs the question of how the X-Men can fit into this already crowded population of heroes. With Deadpool making his big MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine, watching Avengers: Endgame will keep audiences up to date with the place that Deadpool will call his new home.

1 Loki (Seasons 1 & 2)

Learn About the Time Variance Authority and the Fate of the Multiverse

After the events of Avengers: Endgame, the multiverse begins to stretch its legs, allowing for an infinite number of possibilities. Yet, these possibilities cannot go unchecked, for they risk fracturing the sacred timeline of the MCU, which is where the TVA comes in. The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is tasked with erasing branched multiverse paths that stray from the sacred timeline, and there’s no telling how many universes they have destroyed, potentially some familiar to the X-Men universe.

Whilst Loki does center around the titular God of Mischief, it’s worth a watch to discover the conclusion of his glorious purpose, as the fate of the Multiverse is tied directly to his hands. Loki is also essential to understanding how the TVA works since they will also be responsible for bringing Deadpool and Wolverine together into the MCU.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Release Date

July 26, 2024

Director

Shawn Levy

Cast

Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Emma Corrin , Morena Baccarin , Matthew Macfadyen , Karan Soni , Leslie Uggams , Rob Delaney

Studio(s)

Marvel Studios