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The entirety of the Deadpool franchise is notorious for being a hard-R-rated feast of gratuitous violence, profanity, and wanton acts of chaos befitting the character. However, as Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman come together in this ultimate display of excess and fan service, one scene from Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) in particular might have just lost a massive chunk of Marvel’s fanbase.
Credit: Marvel Studios
Deadpool is easily one of the most controversial Marvel characters to ever step out of a comic book panel. The Merc with the Mouth has been tearing up both page and screen for years, but has his latest outing with Wolverine pushed things too far?
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Anything as grotesquely violent and crude as Deadpool can be is bound to be blacklisted as overly offensive, but one of the most iconic scenes in the film earned the ire of many Christian and conservative viewers. Reactions like the one seen below soon flooded social media platforms like TikTok and X, causing a very vocal stir amongst Marvel fans.
Deadpool & Wolverine Condemned as Anti-Christian
Deadpool is blasphemy! pic.twitter.com/bYo71Ioyno
— Sean O'Neill (@SeanOhhhh) July 28, 2024
@SeanOhhhh shares the now-deleted footage from @Chibimallo, where the creator refers to the film as “disgusting” and “against the Lord” before strongly encouraging fellow Christians not to see it or spend money on Marvel. @Chibimallo certainly isn’t the only one to take offense to the movie’s content, but that doesn’t stop some from wondering what exactly was so awful.
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This is far from the first time Deadpool has been the source of controversy. After all, we’re talking about an unkillable mutant mercenary with accelerated healing abilities who is known for his violent tendencies, often irreverent actions, outrageous and outlandish behavior, and complete and utter disregard for the fourth wall. He’s certainly not for everyone.
That being said, the question of whether or not the movie actually commits an act of blasphemy (like most situations in this vein) has been blown entirely out of proportion. While it’s logical to assume that these Christian creators make videos like those above due to Deadpool’s lines referring to himself as “Marvel Jesus,” the quote about being “30 minutes into the movie” leads this writer to assume they are referring to a specific Wolverine variant Deadpool encounters during his search for a new Anchor Being.
Marvel Gets Crucified
Credit: Marvel Studios
During the montage of Deadpool hopping from reality to reality and timeline to timeline in search of another Wolverine to replace his universe’s deceased Old Man Logan variant, the merc encounters multiple versions spanning the Marvel Multiverse. Viewers recieve to visual representations of the undercover Patch, the exceptionally hairy Weapon Omega from Age of Apocalypse, and even the much-beloved John Byrne brown and tan costume, but they also find a horrific vision of Wolverine suspended on a giant X over a field of bloody skulls.
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There’s no denying that many viewers could take offense to the image of a crucified Wolverine nailed to a wooden cross in a seemingly sacrilegious tableau; that’s all perfectly understandable and certainly not an image Marvel Studios or Marvel Comics would intentionally press. However, that’s not what’s happening here.
Credit: Marvel Comics
The image in the film comes from the cover of Uncanny X-Men by the legendary Chris Claremont. In this run, the clawed mutant goes toe-to-toe with the Reavers, a band of cybernetic enforcers who try to bring down Wolverine and the X-Men.
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If anything, the comic takes more from the likes of Conan the Barbarian and Mad Max rather than anything religious. Of course, it’s not like superheroes haven’t relied on religious imagery before (we’re looking at you, Superman).
Is It Wrong?
Credit: Marvel Studios
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out Deadpool isn’t for all audiences, and not all superhero movies will fit the traditional mold. However, this is also a learning opportunity for fans of all backgrounds.
Just because it’s headed up by Marvel and Disney doesn’t mean it’s going to be appropriate for all audiences. Movie ratings exist for a reason, and while Wolverine is still the rugged and rough superhero fans know, Deadpool is still all levels of extra that some fans (including this writer) might find abrasive.
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In reality, the film might not be literally anti-Christian propaganda, but there are several thematic elements Christians might not appreciate. Even so, not every Marvel movie is going to cater to every Marvel fan.
Case in point, Corinthians 10:23b states,
“You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ but not everything is beneficial.”
Deadpool might have united the Marvel Multiverse and possibly brought the X-Men into the MCU, but he wasn’t created with the general audience in mind. He might be Marvel’s big money maker right now, but he’s not the kind of guy you’d take to Disneyland.
Were you offended by the “blasphemous” Deadpool movie? Tell us what you thought in the comments below!
