Snikt! & Snark!

"Many of you are very excited, but we should set the table correctly,” explains Ryan Reynolds about Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, the third installment of the Deadpool trilogy in which he stars as the titular character. “This film is as paper-thin as a sequel to Battlefield Earth. We’re mostly gonna beat each other senseless; make enemies with Disney; tell a few d*ck jokes; make a few jokes at my expense; make a lot of jokes at Hugh [Jackman]’s expense; and completely side-step Marvel’s mandated after-credits sequence, which if you haven’t figured it out yet, is just a commercial for another movie which will end with a commercial for another movie.”

That rapid-fire commentary was issued via an unlisted YouTube video that most people haven’t seen — only thousands at press time — compared to the more than 16 million views garnered by the film’s proper trailer back in May, and that’s only counting the views on the Marvel Entertainment version of the upload. Of course, slower versions of some of those lines made it into a TV spot in which Deadpool himself declares, “This. Is. Cinema.”

Reynolds’ constant quips and back-and-forth banter with co-star Jackman (Wolverine) are a key part of the unconventional marketing for an unconventional film. The Walt Disney Co. leaning into an R-rated film with a storyline that breaks all boundaries of conventional wisdom and perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) multiverse itself? We’re here for it!

And, an unconventional film calls for some unconventional merch that comes peppered with plenty of that trademark snikt! and snark! we’ve come to know and love from the merc with a mouth.

So how does Disney activate the Marvel machine to create a product launch for a film in which kids aren’t the primary audience? They mix things up.

“This film is so different from past MCU films, so we knew it needed a product lineup that pushed the envelope and had unexpected items,” says Brian Siegel, vice president of global marketing strategy at Marvel. “Using the core themes of friendship, irreverence, breaking the fourth wall, and humor, we worked on unique graphics paired with editorial, incorporated sounds into products like never before, and developed apparel and accessories that took the idea of best friends in every direction possible.”

Rather than place all the eggs in one basket (an “Eggpool,” perhaps?), Marvel unleashed a multipronged approach — and they did it just in time for convention season, allowing fans to sink their Adamantium claws into a vast array of merch spanning products inspired by Deadpool & Wolverine, the recent X-Men ‘97 series on Disney+, and a refreshed assortment of “evergreen” items tapping into the legacy of the antihero and his curmudgeon of a buddy.

It’s all there to fuel your fandom whether you’re into Deadpool’s irreverence, Wolverine’s gruff heroism, or both. Siegel notes all movie-specific products are aimed at adult fans and carry an age rating of 14 and up on their packaging.

“Recent industry reports show that adult collectors are outpacing kids, which means a movie like Deadpool & Wolverine can really exist in a sweet spot in terms of collectibles,” comments Erik Weinbrecht, who co-hosts the Adventures in Collecting Podcast with his brother Dave. “This means superhero toys that are ‘fun and colorful’ for kids who know the characters from other media, sure, but first and foremost, the kinds of toys that carry the accuracy and absurdism a more mature audience will enjoy and want to add to their collections.”

If we’re talking about a new Marvel movie, you know Hasbro will have additions to its 6-inch-scale Marvel Legends collection. This year, they’re leaning into how we got here with the Marvel Legends Deadpool Legacy Collection. So far, the lineup includes Deadpool as he appeared in Deadpool 2 (2018) alongside Wolverine as he appeared in that film’s post-credits sequence, referencing the widely panned X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2001). Capturing Deadpool’s sarcastic smirk and Wolverine’s battle scars, these figures are perfectly sized for tabletop battles, should collectors ever free them of their packaging.

For the serious fan, brands like Sideshow, Iron Studios, and Hot Toys are in the mix with museum-worthy statues that command shelf space in any collection.

“While Hasbro’s Marvel Legends and Hot Toys are constantly improving in their abilities to capture likeness and deliver some truly remarkable toys and collectibles, the non-toy releases attached to the movie are outrageous,” Weinbrecht says. “Items like ‘that’ popcorn bucket (you know the one) and the friendship necklaces are so on brand, it’s almost a miracle Disney has let them become a reality.”

For fans who want to wear their love for Deadpool & Wolverine on their sleeves — literally, or not, as there are several Wolverine-style sleeveless options — Bioworld, Mad Engine, Lids, RSVLTS, Chalk Line, and others have answered the call with everything from graphic T-shirts to killer caps.

“The hilarious dynamic that Deadpool and Wolverine have, coupled with Deadpool’s penchant for breaking the fourth wall, mean we can have products that look like Deadpool doodled over the design and we can leverage his quippy quotes,” explains Lacey Prince, director of product design at Marvel.

Those comedic elements and unconventional interests also made their way into jewelry and accessories from RockLove and Girls Crew, including break-apart friendship necklaces, unicorn and taco studs, and more.

“The storytelling we were able to incorporate in jewelry design inspired by Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine is unlike any other Marvel film we’ve worked on,” Prince adds. “The ‘best friends’ theme is such a strong trend in the jewelry world, so it was a no-brainer to highlight in the collection.”

If you’re reading this issue of The Pop Insider on release day (congrats!), perhaps while waiting in line at Comic-Con International: San Diego, you could be a part of cinematic history this weekend. According to Deadline, data from theatrical tracking service The Quorum revealed a projected opening weekend of $200-239 million, which would make Deadpool & Wolverine the biggest R-rated opening ever. Some believe that number might be a conservative estimate, but at press time, only one film stands in the way: Deadpool. That’s right, bub. The original film set the current record in 2016 with a $132 million haul.

So get out there, buy a ticket, grab a heap of popcorn to consume from a gloriously grotesque “vessel” (that’s what they’re calling buckets these days), and then score some killer merch. As Deadpool might say, “It’s time to make the chimichangas” — and collect them, too!