As the only Marvel movie in all of 2024, Deadpool & Wolverine was guaranteed to be a major release. The movie, which ties in Fox’s biggest superhero franchises now that they are both owned by Disney, also promises to be something of a shakeup for a Marvel universe that seems to be in desperate need of it.
If you saw the movie and are looking for something similar, we’ve got you covered — not with other Deadpool or Wolverine movies, because that would be a little too obvious, but with other movies that get at some of the same things that make Deadpool & Wolverine such a success.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
The only superhero movie on this list, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has the exact same combination of mirth and heart that makes Deadpool & Wolverine so successful. The movie is a conclusion of sorts to the Guardians, and it really shifts its focus primarily to Rocket as we learn where he comes from and why his past is starting to catch up with him.
Few movies of this scale manage to be this funny, this violent, and this genuinely emotional. The Guardians are very good friends, and that friendship is what carries you through all of the absurdity that makes up any entry in this franchise, but especially this third installment.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is streaming on Disney+.
Detective Pikachu (2019)
If you just can’t get enough of Ryan Reynolds, Detective Pikachu is a great place to go next. While Reynolds doesn’t appear on screen (much) in this movie, his voice is all over it as a talking Pikachu in a world filled with Pokémon. The film follows a young man who is searching for his missing father, and discovers that a talking Pikachu is the perfect companion in his quest.
For a movie about Pokémon, you’ll be surprised at how deft and light on its feet Detective Pikachu manages to be. This movie is smart, funny, and has a surprisingly engaging mystery.
Detective Pikachu is streaming on Netflix.
The Fall Guy (2024)
A more romantic movie with a similar sense of humor to Deadpool & Wolverine, The Fall Guy tells the story of a stunt man who retires following an accident, only to be called back into action when the leading man he often did stunts for goes missing. Along the way, he attempts to rekindle a romance he once had with an aspiring director who is trying to make her first major blockbuster.
The Fall Guy packs a lot into its running time, but it runs on the sheer charisma of Ryan Gosling, and on the chemistry he shares with Emily Blunt. The Fall Guy also features some genuinely amazing stunt work, which is good, because the movie is above all else a tribute to stunt people and the work they do.
The Fall Guy can be purchased on Amazon Prime Video.