Deadpool & Wolverine hit movie theaters last week and has already been a resounding success, earning over $200 million both domestically and internationally. However, there are some who have taken offense to some of the jokes in the film, claiming Deadpool & Wolverine makes a mockery of Christianity.

How Is Deadpool & Wolverine Offensive to Christians?

Even before making the transition to the big screen, Deadpool has often teetered on the edge of humor and good taste. In the comics, the character is often depicted as a vulgar, wisecracking assassin who hardly ever seems to shut up, making endless crass jokes about his anatomy and sexuality (as well as that of others).

Deadpool has not been toned down much since transitioning to the big screen, first under the banner of Fox Studios and now under the Disney-owned Marvel Studios. The latest entry in the franchise is pretty much as expected, with plenty of raunchy humor and gratuitous violence.

So what has several prominent Christian social media influencers up in arms about Deadpool & Wolverine? Well, for starters, Deadpool refers to himself on more than one occasion as “Marvel Jesus” and proclaims that he is the Messiah sent to save the MCU. Additionally, there is also a scene in which his co-star Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, is seen hanging on a cross. However, there is much more to these scenes and references than first meets the eye.

Why Does Deadpool Call Himself Marvel Jesus?

As mentioned earlier, there are several instances in Deadpool & Wolverine in which Ryan Reynolds’ Merc With a Mouth proclaims himself to be “Marvel Jesus” and declares that he is going to save the entire MCU. There are multiple reasons why he says this — and none are meant as a mockery of Christianity.

The first reason for this declaration is directly related to the story presented in the film. The TVA (Time Variance Authority) has informed Deadpool that the sacred timeline (or mainstream universe seen in previous MCU films) is in danger of being destroyed. Without going into too much detail, Deadpool embarks on a mission to save that world, as well as several other multiversal universes that are in danger of being destroyed.

This is why he sees himself as a savior — he is literally risking life and limb in hopes of saving several entire universes, and he equates this to what Jesus did for the real world, according to the Christian faith. He’s not saying that he actually is the Biblical Messiah, only that his mission is similar in that he is going on a quest to save an untold number of lives. If anything, he is saying (in his own way, admittedly) that Jesus is the greatest of heroes for what he did, and he is attempting to do the same.

Deadpool also has a more meta reason for describing himself in such a way. Since the release of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, the MCU has been in a bit of a slump, with blockbuster films and television shows now being few and far between. However, the two previous Deadpool films have enjoyed blockbuster success, and Disney/Marvel’s recent reacquisition of the franchise means that the character can now be implemented into the fledging MCU.

In this way, Deadpool is “saving” Marvel’s cinematic universe by way of breathing new life into the studio — and the current box office receipts are a testimony that the mouthy mercenary is getting the job done.

Why Was Wolverine on a Cross?

Another point of contention focuses on an early scene in the film in which Wolverine was seen hanging on a cross. Again, there is much more to this than initially meets the eye.

This scene came at a point in Deadpool & Wolverine in which the mercenary went on a multiversal search for a version of the mutant hero who could help him save the universe. This was then used as an opportunity to give viewers a bit of much-appreciated fan service through a montage of various Wolverine moments from the comics.

Wolverine’s cross moment was part of the montage, which also included images of Wolverine from the popular Age of Apocalypse storyline and an image of The Hulk in his claws, taken directly from the cover of a classic comic. Similarly, the image of Wolverine on a cross is adapted from the cover of 1989’s Uncanny X-Men #251 and is intended as an homage, not a direct insult to Christianity.

In short, Deadpool’s declaration of himself as “Marvel Jesus” is meant to be one of many meta jokes featured in Deadpool & Wolverine, while the image of Wolverine on a cross is an homage meant to be taken as fan service. Neither are meant to be blatant insults to Christianity or any other organized religion.