The Image I chose captures one of the most defining moments in the movie. Wolverine and Deadpool team up to fight the Deadpool clones from alternate timelines. Wolverine is wearing his iconic yellow suit with a black accent. Deadpool, who is standing beside Wolverine, is in his dark red suit. The two heroes are positioned in front of a blown-out store front, surrounded by sparks and debris, as well as smoke rising on the left of the scene. The colours of their suits stand out against the dull, dusty background, pulling the viewer’s eye towards the heroes. Wolverine is crouched in a forward position with his claws out. His body language and expression shows physical aggression, baring his teeth and ready on his toes to pounce. Deadpool stands beside Wolverine, his body language, standing up straight and flat on his feet, shows that he feels confident and relaxed despite the chaos that is occurring around them. The camera shot is framed just below eye level, positioning the viewer as a spectator standing directly in front of the action. Wolverine and Deadpool are positioned in the center of the shot. The two being centered in the shot gives the image a poster like appearance. The film is shot in slow motion during this scene, which makes it feel like it has paused to showcase the intensity.
Deadpool and Wolverine are almost indestructible. Most of the violence in this sequence happens quickly, none of the injuries cause major damage as both Wolverine and Deadpool heal fast. The writers of this movie use violence as something funny and tend to over exaggerate the hits. Cynthia M. King found that when heroes joke their way through violent scenes, audiences tend to react with less worry and see the violence as more entertaining rather than serious. This is shown in one of the following scenes, after Wolverine and Deadpool have taken down and “killed” all of the Deadpool clones they pop right back up ready to fight again. Lennart Soberon argues that action movies tend to exaggerate enemies to shape how the audience feels. He explains that action films build a sense of who the heroes and villains are, which makes the violence feel justified and exciting instead of disturbing. The Deadpool clones are chaotic and disposable, so the audience does not feel bad when the heroes take them down. When all the violence occurs, it does not appear terrifying but more exciting and entertaining because the heroes are winning.
Both Wolverine and Deadpool have the typical superhero build, and as I previously mentioned, they are indestructible. Deadpool’s main feature is that he is impossible to kill, and Wolverine’s is that he is filled with rage and strength. Their abilities make violence feel unrealistic because they never face real life consequences. Oliver, Kalyanaraman, Mahood, and Ramasubramanian found in their study that exaggerated violence often makes viewers feel more excited and increases their anticipation of the movie. This is a common theme throughout the film, most of the characters hardly react to the chaos that is occurring around them. King found in her research that women are less likely to find violence as appealing because they are “less hostile and aggressive.” She says that aggressive humour and violence are usually viewed as more masculine. The way that they can heal instantly and keep going ties into the classic stereotype that men are powerful, aggressive, and unbeatable. This movie is centred around two male superheroes who can take extreme damage without facing any long lasting effects.
In a one minute sequence following this scene I was able to identify 4 jump cuts as well as special effects were definitely used. The edits were not meant to be seamless, the cuts show how fast paced this fight was and the reaction of bystanders. I was aware of the camera movements as it was following the conflict, moving horizontally to the right. I feel like if a viewer were watching this on a large screen, the camera movements would feel like they are directly following the action in the battle.
According to Box Office Mojo, Deadpool and Wolverine is the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. Worldwide, Deadpool and Wolverine earned over $1.3 billion. This film made US$636.7 million domestically (Canada and US) and US$701.3 million internationally. The success of this film shows how audiences continue to engage with action films that involve humour, violence, and franchise characters.
The movie Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) plays with violence in a way that is more entertaining than realistic. Wolverine and Deadpool’s indestructibility eliminates any real sense of danger. Their strength and confidence plays into the typical role of male superheroes in Hollywood action films. The exaggerated violence and humour creates an intensity that keeps audiences focused on excitement rather than the fear of danger. It is clear how well this movie performed that humour mixed with violence and familiarity is exactly what viewers want more of.
Bibliography
Box Office Mojo. “Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).” Box Office Mojo. Accessed November 25, 2025. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr1015239173/
King, Cynthia M. “Effects of Humorous Heroes and Villains in Violent Action Films.” Journal of Communication 50, no. 1 (March 2000): 5–24.
Oliver, Mary Beth, Sriram Kalyanaraman, Chad Mahood, and Srividya Ramasubramanian. “Sexual and Violent Imagery in Movie Previews: Effects on Viewers’ Perceptions and Anticipated Enjoyment.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 51, no. 4 (2007): 596–614.
Soberon, Lennart. “The Affects of Animosity: Action Cinema, Enemy Making, and Moral Indignation as Film Mood.” Canadian Journal of Film Studies 30, no. 1 (2021): 126–149.
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