Outside of Avengers: Endgame, Deadpool & Wolverine may carry the most pre-release baggage of anything in Marvel history. For Deadpool, you’ve got not just two movies, but also all the behind-the-scenes drama leading up to them. With Wolverine, you’ve got 10 X-Men movies with all manner of wild stories, including the character actually dying. Then you’ve got the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself, including the TV shows which, as we’ve seen from the trailers, play a big role.
Don’t sweat it, says director Shawn Levy. You can and will be rewarded for knowing all that, but you don’t need to know any of it. “I very much made this film with, certainly, a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world,” he told the Associated Press. “But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.”
“I was a good student in school,” Levy added. “I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies.”
Basically, Levy is saying if you don’t know about all the little details, you can still have fun with and understand the movie. If you know the history of the TVA from Loki, for example, that’s great. It’ll add some depth and richness. If you don’t though and it’s just some weird group capturing Deadpool, that’ll work too. You still get enough to enjoy. Homework isn’t needed, but it’ll be rewarded.
Nevertheless, in the now about three months until the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, the entire internet will give you every chance to catch up on all the homework needed to understand Deadpool & Wolverine on every level. But, if you miss an assignment or two, trust the director. It’s fine.
Deadpool & Wolverine opens July 26.