Who is Deadpool?
Wade Wilson is a former special forces soldier turned mercenary who signed up for an experimental treatment after a cancer diagnosis. The procedure gave him a healing factor that makes him nearly impossible to kill, and it left his skin badly scarred. He hides it under a red suit, talks constantly and knows he is in a movie.
That last part is his signature. Deadpool breaks the fourth wall, mocks the studio that made him and comments on superhero clichés while he is in the middle of using them. He is violent, crude and surprisingly sentimental about the people he loves.
His one MCU title
- Deadpool & Wolverine (film, recommended)
Before this, Wade starred in Deadpool and Deadpool 2, two films made by 20th Century Fox in its own X-Men universe. They are not part of the MCU timeline, but Deadpool & Wolverine treats them as his backstory, so they are the best preparation. Reynolds also played a very different, much-mocked version of Wade in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the newer films never miss a chance to joke about it.
What happens, without spoiling it
Deadpool & Wolverine finds Wade at a low point. His world is in danger, and the Time Variance Authority, the bureaucracy that polices the multiverse, pulls him out of it. To save the people he cares about, he goes looking for a Wolverine, and the one he finds is the worst version of Logan anyone could imagine.
The rest is a road movie through the strange corners of the multiverse, packed with in-jokes about Fox, Disney and past Marvel films. Many of its surprises are cameos, so avoid trailers and online discussions if you can.
The people around Wade
Our character data does not list related characters for Deadpool yet, but the film makes the key ones clear. Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, is his reluctant partner and the other half of the title. The TVA, which viewers know from Loki, is represented by an ambitious agent named Mr. Paradox. Back home, Wade's found family from the Fox films, including Vanessa, Blind Al and his cab-driving friend Dopinder, gives him something to fight for.
Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds has played Wade for so long that the two have become hard to separate. His rapid-fire delivery, self-mocking jokes and genuine emotional moments are what make the character work; without the sincerity underneath, the jokes would wear thin. He has also been one of the biggest champions of the character behind the scenes.
Outside the role, Reynolds is known for the romantic comedy The Proposal, the video game comedy Free Guy and, famously, Green Lantern, which Deadpool loves to bring up. He also starred in the comedy Definitely, Maybe.
How to watch Deadpool
For the full experience, watch Deadpool, Deadpool 2 and then Deadpool & Wolverine. Seeing Loki first helps with the TVA, and Logan gives extra weight to the Wolverine side of the story. None of these are required, since the film explains what you need. It is a film for adults, with strong language and bloody action, so it is not the right pick for a family movie night. For more heroes and villains, browse our MCU characters list, and check the full characters index again after his next appearance is announced.