According to pro.boxoffice.com, "Deadpool" has grossed worldwide and domestically upwards of $315 million. Damn. It had been 10 years since the hated portrayal of Wade Wilson aka Deadpool in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," and fortunately for the die-hard fans of the “murk with the mouth” and Fox, Ryan Reynolds, and all his efforts, was able to allow the smartass character to grace the big screen in all his self-aware grace. Many of the media outlets who had contacted Ryan Reynolds, like the Los Angeles Times, found out that Reynolds was part of the grueling process of getting Deadpool his own movie since he signed on as the character on"X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Fox was not entirely confident and sure of a Deadpool movie garnering any success due to the failure of character’s first appearance, thus forcing production to be stagnant until test footage had been leaked to the public in 2014. Of course, the consensus of Deadpool fans would be to have the film released sooner but with the timing of the "Deadpool" outing, it made the film not only build a much-deserved yearning but allowed the film to be an imperative feature in the comic-book-crazed film adaptions today.
There have been and still are different film-phases that Hollywood tends to produce. For instance, the recent vampire, werewolf and zombie phase. Hollywood was obsessed with these genres and proceeded to suffocate the public with a new vampire, werewolf or zombie movie every six months or so. Its obsession seemed to start with a successful outing of one movie within that genre like "Twilight" and "Dawn of the Dead" and saw how much money these movies produced and wanted to ride the wave of green. Thankfully, movies such as "Shaun of the Dead," "Zombieland," "ParaNorman," "Warm Bodies" and "What We Do in the Shadows" offered something new to these phases and deterred the public from the redundant and derivative nature that was within newly released films of that kind. The aforementioned movies were important because they were able to allow us some breathing room from the monotony while entertaining us with something refreshing and original. That’s why in the height of the comic book superhero phase, "Deadpool" is the most important movie in its time.
It seems this superhero obsession that Hollywood seems to be floored with started with the release of "Batman Begins," the third installment in Christopher Nolan’s "Dark Knight Trilogy." Since then there has been an onslaught of films coming from the dozens of movies produced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the "X-Men" franchise, the conclusion of the "Dark Knight Trilogy", the DC Extended Universe and other adapted comics like "The Fantastic Four," "Watchmen," "Sin City" and "300." And unlike campier comic movies in the past, such as the indignantly despised "Batman and Robin," these conventional comic book movies focus on a gritty and realistic approach to the source material. Although this makes the stories more relatable and more entertaining, it can still be a little much. It follows the unfortunate over-exposure of the vampire, werewolf and zombie movies; it can be suffocating and cause the comic book superhero genre to fizzle out. That’s why "Deadpool" becomes so important.
Deadpool is everything that a conventional comic book character isn’t. He’s crass, a smartass, an anti-hero, pop-culture wiz, and breaks the fourth wall constantly allowing for his character to be mixed up in numerous of different and unsuspecting adventure stories. One such adventure is when he takes on the entire Marvel universe, battling other beloved Marvel characters like Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, Captain America and even the writers themselves in "Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe."That’s why when the writers of Deadpool’s movie finally were able to encapsulate all that he is in 108 minutes, "Deadpool" was able to break the commonality of the Comic Book Super Hero genre. "Deadpool"isn’t another Comic Book Superhero movie that Marvel produced, oh no. Introducing such a character shall not be done conventionally. It is a love story about a man who battles cancer in order to spend the rest of his days with his love. When he undergoes a sketchy underground procedure to rid him of cancer, he is given an exceptional healing factor leaving him invincible to anything. However, Wilson is turned into a hideous figure that leaves him almost unrecognizable to his former self. This love story turns into a revenge tale with Wade Wilson becoming Deadpool to take revenge on the people who have made him a deformed and immortal monster. All along the way, the hilarious character of Deadpool has stayed in tact. It made for not only one of the most action packed movies but also one of the funniest in any comic book-based movie.
Deadpool’s full feature-length debut was an obvious hit and invigorated the comic book super hero genre. It was able to deter from the same formula the genre has been using, breaking the mold and giving fans a new, refreshing take in the height of the comic book super hero phase. Ultimately this success will bring larger crowds to more comic book adaptions allowing for a more invested fan base that will prolong this genre further down the road. Thank you Deadpool, you’re my hero.
You’re welcome Chris. – Deadpool :)
