It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since All Elite Wrestling debuted with AEW Dynamite, and my goodness, how the landscape has changed.
AEW started as a true alternative to WWE, and while it still is, the perception of both companies has evolved dramatically since 2019. Real-life power struggles have unfolded, with both companies gaining and losing talent, both in the ring and behind the scenes—much like the shifting dynamics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Before 2005, Marvel was a company teetering on the brink, fit for “The Void” (more on that later). But Robert Downey Jr.‘s portrayal of Tony Stark in Iron Man breathed new life into the comic book movie genre. This resurgence was further fueled by Disney’s acquisition of Marvel, a steal in hindsight. From there, Captain America swung his shield, The Hulk smashed, and Thor felt mighty (at least two out of four times). Add The Avengers films, Dave Bautista boosting Guardians of the Galaxy, and the rights to Spider-Man, and Marvel suddenly had a roster and future to be excited about.
However, that roster became oversaturated, the focus turned multi-universal, and goodwill eroded as the franchise drifted away from its core comic book fanbase. This should sound familiar to the diehard wrestling fans.
Whether your fandom began by flipping through the halftone pages of comics or trading wrestling tapes with Meltzer, making money is what both businesses are ultimately about. However, there’s always a better way to profit, and sometimes a property needs a reset. Deadpool & Wolverine seemingly did that for Marvel, both creatively and at the box office. In these challenging times for AEW, Tony Khan could learn a thing or two from this summer blockbuster.
WARNING: Spoilers for “Deadpool & Wolverine” lie ahead. Continue reading if you’d like to break the fourth wall.
Make It Make Sense.
A major plot point in Deadpool & Wolverine revolves around “timelines,” with several that Deadpool (and eventually Wolverine) must navigate. Two are the characters’ individual timelines, and one is the “sacred timeline,” which includes all the main Marvel characters (“Earth-616”). Deadpool remains part of Fox’s X-Men Universe (referred to as “Earth-10005” in the movie), but in his timeline, Wolverine is dead, having been killed in Logan seven years ago. To find a living Wolverine, Wade Wilson must travel to another universe, but he inadvertently ends up in one where Wolverine is at his worst. The two team up after a timeline operator throws them into a multi-verse purgatory called “The Void,” where they must collaborate to save (and possibly correct) their own universes.
At this point, “timeline” and “multi-verse” have become Marvel’s equivalent of the “Forbidden Door,” terms that have been used to the point of exhaustion, weaving a tangled web of complex storylines. However, if Marvel could bring Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine back to life in a sensible way within their (wait for it) “multi-verse,” then AEW should have no problem bringing clarity to their weekly programming.
Making sense of Marvel’s convoluted narrative required a team of five writers, including Ryan Reynolds, who has a deep understanding and personal investment in the character. With Shawn Levy directing and the original Deadpool writers on board, they managed to craft a coherent story. Tony Khan has mentioned what appears to be a rotating cast of people contributing creative input at AEW. On top of that, Khan is producing what amounts to two and a half feature-length “films” each week. By trusting a core group to execute a unified vision under his guidance, AEW could achieve the distinction and direction it needs. Right now, there are too many timelines in play, and the show is in desperate need of a “sacred” one.
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Focus On Your Stars, Even The Forgotten Ones.
With a title as straightforward as Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel clearly understood who the stars of the film were. The movie would have fallen flat if the spotlight wasn’t squarely on Reynolds and Jackman, and AEW could benefit from a similar focus on identifying and elevating the wrestlers who drive their television product. Too much of the AEW roster has been relegated to “The Void,” which has significantly impacted the product and contributed to declining ratings.
Deadpool & Wolverine gave fans exactly what they wanted by teaming up Reynolds and Jackman in the right way, but it also brought back familiar faces to round out the ensemble. Wesley Snipes returned as Blade, Jennifer Garner reprised her role as Elektra from Ben Affleck’s Daredevil, and Channing Tatum finally debuted as Gambit after years of the Fox film being stuck in production limbo. Along with X-23 from Logan, these characters helped Deadpool and Wolverine in their battle out of “The Void.”
The film also featured numerous cameos that were used effectively to fill out the lower midcard. Tyler Mane, Kevin Nash’s former Master Blaster partner, was swiftly killed by Wolverine in his return as Sabretooth, and Chris Evans’ Human Torch was horrifically murdered by the film’s top villain, Cassandra Nova. As Kevin Sullivan would say, they “did the favor,” but those squash matches still mattered in the grand scheme of the film and arguably the entire Marvel franchise.
From its inception, AEW has struggled to make its stars feel like top-tier talent due to inconsistent booking, limited TV time, and poor positioning. With talents like Ricky Starks, Jade Cargill, Wardlow, and Ethan Page, the list of wrestlers stuck in “The Void” could go on indefinitely. Two of those names have already found greater success by jumping ship to WWE. If AEW took the time to establish a solid hierarchy, it could better position itself as the engaging alternative it was meant to be. Unfortunately, we’ve often seen a “Toad” in a prominent position over a Channing Tatum “Gambit” (no offense to Ray Park).
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Make Fun Of Past Mistakes – At The Right Time.
How do you beat a bully? By not letting them see you sweat. Deadpool is notorious for breaking the fourth wall, taking jabs at everyone—Fox, Disney, even Hugh Jackman—but there’s a fine line between taking good-natured shots and coming across as petty.
Tony Khan has shown he’s unafraid to “break the fourth wall” when taking shots at WWE, but are they always the right target? What about poking fun at the tribalistic fanbase or even acknowledging the company’s own missteps? Reynolds’ Deadpool is known as “The Merc With The Mouth” for a reason, but often, the character’s sharpest barbs are directed at himself. If a Taco Bell commercial airs between an intense vignette of one of your top heels, why not make light of it the following week by having that heel eat a taco after beating Darby Allin?
AEW is still a young company, and there’s value in knowing when to take yourself seriously and when to lighten the mood. Breaking your own “fourth wall” can be a powerful tool, and fans will appreciate the nods to those paying close attention.
