Edward
Deadpool is back on the big screen and funnier than ever, thanks to a whole host of jokes both in-universe and out. With references to comics, other superhero movies, real life events, and even Bette Midler’s work, it can be hard to get every single joke on your first viewing. Luckily, we’re here to help.
Spoilers both major and mild below!
1. Deadpool’s a big T-Swift fan.
While wheeling around the X-Men mansion in Charles Xavier’s wheelchair, Wade Wilson can be seen wearing a shirt that says “Olivia and Meredith BFFs Furrever,” a nod to Taylor Swift’s real life cats.
2. Baby Legs
While not confirmed as a direct reference, a lot of fans have noticed the parallels between Deadpool’s baby legs moment and a show from Rick and Morty’s famed “Inter-dimensional Cable.” Purposeful or not, we can all agree that baby legs on a regular body are weird as hell.
3. Yes, there is a very real cure for blindness.
In the first Deadpool, Wade tells Blind Al that his cocaine is hidden next to the cure for blindness. It takes a full movie later for us to realize he wasn’t kidding. Upon opening the floorboards to grab his cocaine, we see a box labeled, “the cure for blindness.”
4. “Hey, big guy. Sun’s gettin’ real low.”
One of many great references to Disney’s MCU heroes, Deadpool uses this line while trying to subdue Juggernaut. Though Black Widow uses it to calm the equally gargantuan Hulk in Avengers 2, it;s not as effective in Deadpool 2.
5. “Like an avocado…”
TJ Miller’s Weasel begins the same sick burn on Deadpool’s physical appearance from the first film before being sharply cut off.
6. “The name’s ‘Pool.’ ‘Deadpool.”
Those unfamiliar with the James Bond films probably looked over the Skyfall-esque opening title sequence in which all the “directed by” and “starring” credits are in-jokes.
7. “My superpower is just unbridled cancer. Give me a bow and arrow and I’m basically Hawkeye.”
Deadpool drops this line while imprisoned with a collar around his neck that removes his mutant abilities. We all know that the MCU’s Hawkeye is essentially useless. Sure, he’s good at hitting things with his arrows, but as far as flying through the sky with an electrical hammer like Thor, or being able to get sliced in half and regenerate his limbs like Deadpool, he’s basically just a really good archer. Wade Wilson isn’t lying.
8. “What did I do to piss off a grumpy old f****r with a Winter Solider arm?”
While meeting Cable for the first time in the aforementioned prison, this quip is obviously aimed at Marvel’s other metal-armed badass who’s been heavily featured in other movies of late.
9. Cable’s basically the Terminator
You’d be forgiven to think that Cable’s backstory is awfully reminiscent of “Terminator.” Deadpool thinks so too, often calling him “John Conner” and digging at Rob Liefeld, Cable’s creator. It also doesn’t hurt that Tim Miller, the director of the first Deadpool, is hard at work on a Terminator movie as well.
10. What’s with the feet jokes?
Deadpool scoffs at Domino’s “lucky” powers as creatively lazy, going on to compare them to being created by someone who can’t draw feet, another criticism of Rob Liefeld and his Deadpool comic work. Incidentally, Liefeld is reported to have loved the jokes aimed his way, which goes to show he at least has a great sense of humor, if not feet-drawing ability.
11. The whole movie begins with a major spoiler to another movie.
The very first shot of the movie shows an impaled Wolverine action figure, with Deadpool’s narration going on about how he can’t believe they raised the stakes in his movie by killing off Hugh Jackman’s character in “Logan.” For those late to the “Logan” viewing party, Deadpool 2 does not apologize.
12. Thank God, David Bowie’s still alive.
Even if his other favorite artist, George Michael is dead, Wade Wilson takes solace that David Bowie is definitely still alive and no one had better correct him.