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The funniest joke in Deadpool & Wolverine isn't in the dialogue - it is hidden in the background of the last act
Rob Liefeld hates feet almost as much as he loves pouches.
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The script for Deadpool & Wolverine is packed full of jokes, puns, and obscure references to comic books scattered throughout. But the rapid-fire delivery sometimes means that there are funny moments hidden in the background. One obscure joke that might have snuck past you amidst the final act’s constant action not only paid homage to Deadpool’s creator but also poked fun at one of the major criticisms of his artwork over the years.
There are some mild spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine ahead, so now is your last chance to look away.
As the Deadpool Corps – lead by Lady Deadpool herself – marches into battle against Deadpool Prime and Wolverine, there is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference to Rob Liefeld in the background. The shoe shop that the heroic pair are flung into is called Liefeld’s Just Feet. You can actually see it in the trailer for the film, though admittedly, I was too busy marveling at the fact they finally put Hugh Jackman in the Yellow and Blue suit to notice.
This joke is hilarious but it requires you to know two things:
- Rob Liefeld is the creator of Deadpool, and
- Rob Liefeld cannot draw feet
Rob Liefeld also can’t draw women and shouldn’t draw Captain America, but that is a bit outside the scope of this joke. Liefeld is one of the most successful comic book artists of the last thirty years and he has spent most of that time either conspicuously covering up character’s feet with scenery or giving them misshapen hooves at the bottom of their legs. The man is a menace to feet and women’s spines.
Armed with this knowledge, this joke made me (and only me) laugh out loud in the cinema when it came up on the big screen, causing my friends to make me explain to them what was up with that. Which is fair; I’ve spent a career amassing random and seemingly useless pop culture and comics knowledge while they took the time to remember things like birthdays and anniversaries. We all have our priorities in life.
More than most, this was a joke that was created for people who have spent more time obsessing over video games than is probably healthy and that’s okay. We all deserve to feel smug at having understood an obscure joke in a movie full of random references to comic book history.
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