How To Watch All The ‘Deadpool’ Movies In Chronological Order, Including ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

The craze for Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s latest film, Deadpool & Wolverine is a neverending saga worldwide. Apart from seeing the two stars share screen space as anti-heroes again, fans are excited to see the third instalment in the Deadpool series. But do you know the exact Deadpool movies in order of their release dates? We’ve got you!

While he appeared in a small role in an X-Men movie in 2009, the first standalone film featuring the Merc with a Mouth was released in 2016, paving the way for more R-rated movies under the Marvel banner. This helped Marvel gain a much older demography of fans.

That being said, there are still many fans who haven’t had a chance to catch up with the Deadpool madness. Moreover, considering the stupendous hype around 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, many fans have freshly joined the fandom to see Wade Wilson in action. While we love their enthusiasm, the new joiners have a lot to catch up on.

There are three main Deadpool movies including the latest venture. However, Wade Wilson has always been a fan-favourite with several cameos and short films. From his debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) to the hilarious short film, No Good Deed, there are a total of seven films featuring the Merc with a Mouth.

Although watching Deadpool & Wolverine as a standalone might probably not get you kicked out of the fandom, it will surely be frowned upon since Marvel films are much more intricately connected than other superhero franchises in cinema. Every character plays an important role even if they appear for a mere few seconds. Hence, it is essential to catch up on the madness of the web weaved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Moreover, you would not want to miss Wade Wilson’s official entry into the MCU with Deadpool & Wolverine.

On that note, check out all the Deadpool movies in order that you must watch before hitting the theatres to witness the epic chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024.

‘Deadpool’ movies in order and where to watch them

If you want to watch the Deadpool movies in order of their release dates, this list has got your back. Thankfully, the story timeline is more or less linear, making this the correct chronological order to watch in, too.

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine: 2009
• Deadpool: 2016
• Deadpool 2: 2018
• Deadpool & Wolverine: 2024

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Director: Gavin Hood
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, Ryan Reynolds
IMDb rating: 6.5

The film provides the backstory to the iconic character of Logan. From the origin of his mutation to his dark past, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a bloody ride into his disturbed life. After running from his childhood trauma, Logan finds peace with his girlfriend Kayla Silverfox when Victor attacks and mercilessly kills her. Despite his rage, Logan cannot kill Victor as they both are immortal. The plot thickens when Logan’s thirst for revenge propels him to join the Weapon X program, where he meets Wade Wilson.

Perhaps the worst version of the character Ryan Reynolds has ever played, considering his mouth was sewn shut, Deadpool’s debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a horrendous first impression for comic fans. Even Green Lantern would laugh at the actor’s misery. Without the red suit, Ryan Reynolds had to employ his epic action skills to bring life to the infamous final battle in the movie. The biggest letdown for fans in the already poorly made film was the heavily altered character of Deadpool. From the Cyclops eyes to teleportation powers, the character had become an inside joke for the fandom.

Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV

Deadpool (2016)

Director: Tim Miller
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein and T. J. Miller
IMDb rating: 8

Rebooting the character, years after fans complained about his poor portrayal in the X-Men title, Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller revolutionised the Merc with a Mouth by giving fans a franchise much closer to the original comics.

Wade Wilson’s life turns upside down after discovering he has cancer. After giving up hope, he stumbles upon an evil scientist Ajax, who turns him into an experiment on the pretense of curing him. The experiment leaves Wade Wilson disfigured but also immortal with extraordinary healing abilities. Despite being granted a second chance at life, Wade Wilson decides to exact revenge on Ajax.

The Tim Miller directorial was a turning point for not only the wise-cracking superhero but also for Marvel. Set in the 20th Century Fox X-Men franchise, fans did not have many expectations from the movie considering the massively poor reception of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But Ryan Reynolds certainly came through with his vision.

The makers bare it all by freeing Deadpool of all the constraints of censorship and good ol’ kids-friendly Marvel. They let him revel in his foul-mouthed glory which resulted in Deadpool becoming the fourth highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.

Where to watch: Disney Plus

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Director: David Leitch
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz
IMDb rating: 7.6

Wade Wilson wallows in darkness after Vanessa’s death. The fact that he cannot even kill himself due to his healing abilities furthers his agony. He then joins the X-Men believing Vanessa would have wanted him to. As the saga of protecting Russell Collins (a young mutant) ensues, Deadpool forms his own team of mutants to save Russell from a time-travelling mercenary.

Deadpool 2, the second instalment in the series, does not disappoint. It’s filled with Deadpool’s signature ironic satirical humour along with some meta references to satisfy comic fans. The bloody action is top-notch as expected from Wade Wilson. However, the film also surprises fans with several emotional elements. The addition of Domino and Cable with Deadpool 2 is simply marvellous.

Pro tip: DO NOT miss the end-credits scene of Deadpool 2.

Where to watch: Disney Plus

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Director: Shawn Levy
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen
IMDb rating: 8.3

In the third film, we see Deadpool celebrating with his X-Force friends and Vanessa when the Time Variance Authority (TVA) appears to recruit him. He is then given the mission to save the world by finding the ‘anchor being’ aka Wolverine. In a twisted play of destiny, the loud-mouth hero finds himself banished to ‘The Void’ with Wolverine.

Deadpool & Wolverine is the third and latest instalment in the Deadpool series. And with this film, Wade Wilson officially becomes a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the film picks right after the ending of Deadpool 2, it is essential to at least watch Deadpool 2 before Deadpool & Wolverine.

Note: Deadpool & Wolverine plays a crucial part in setting up major characters and movies in the future of MCU’s Multiverse Saga.

Where to watch: In theatres

Honourable mentions

No Good Deed (2017)

Director: David Leitch
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Stan Lee
IMDb rating: 8

The short story parodies Superman by showing Deadpool spotting an elderly man being robbed and then running to the phone booth to change into his costume.

The realistic yet satirical dig at superheroes makes the short film a worthy watch. Many fans theorised that the old man was Peter Parker’s uncle Ben. The Ben & Jerry’s ice cream that the old man was carrying further solidified the fan theory.

The writers of the Deadpool films, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, penned this hilarious short film directed by David Leitch. It served as a teaser for the Ryan Reynolds-starrer sequel and successfully generated hype for the film without actually revealing anything. The smart dark comedy was received positively as many compared it to the Saturday Night Live skits.

Where to watch: YouTube

Once Upon a Deadpool (2018)

Director: David Leitch
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz
IMDb rating: 7.4

Not a fan of R-rated movies but still want to enjoy Wade Wilson’s thunderous personality? In the watered-down version of Deadpool 2, the ‘good guy in red’ reads The Princess Bride to The Wonder Years star Fred Savage. Apart from having less profanity and bloody scenes, Once Upon a Deadpool is also quite hilarious and will satisfy your PG-13 superhero movie taste.

The makers released this recut of Deadpool 2 to make it family-friendly. It was edited to fit the PG-13 rating criteria, opening the movie to a wider audience.

Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video

Deadpool and Korg React (2021)

Director: Ryan Reynolds
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Taika Waititi
IMDb rating: 7.8

As the title suggests, in this short film Deadpool and Korg react to the Free Guy (2021) trailer. The dialogue exchange between the characters hints at X-Men’s involvement in future Deadpool movies.

Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi joined hands in 2021 for this short masterpiece, titled Deadpool and Korg React. This venture served as a promotional video for Reynolds’ film Free Guy but also marked the wise-cracking superhero’s first step into the MCU.

Where to watch: YouTube

(Header and feature image courtesy: Ryan Reynolds/ Instagram)