I’ve seen 35 minutes of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ — and it could be the best Marvel movie in years

I was lucky enough to attend a U.K. preview event for " Deadpool & Wolverine " on Thursday, July 25, and after watching the first 35 minutes (and seeing a sizzle reel of what's still to come), I'm convinced that it's going to be one of Marvel's strongest releases in years.

It's been a rough couple of years for the Marvel Cinematic Universe , to be sure. Post-"Endgame," we've had more downs than ups and, I've been feeling a creeping sense of Marvel fatigue as more and more misfires have hit the big screen and made their way to Disney Plus.

Even though the threequel has retained the R-rating and the trailers have been selling a movie that looks in keeping with its predecessors, I've been worried that we might be getting a neutered version of the anarchic antihero. But after laying eyes on that first chunk of the film, I'm happy to say that I've put those fears aside.

We're still a couple of weeks out from the release date of July 26, and I'm not allowed to go into spoiler territory (nor would I want to), but rest assured that within seconds, it was clear that "Deadpool & Wolverine" was, first and foremost, a "Deadpool" sequel ... and it feels like it's going to be a really, really good one.

The section we saw comes with everything that made the previous two installments so good. The first half-hour of "Deadpool & Wolverine" is full of gags and fourth-wall-breaks, and boasts plenty of impressive comic book action. In other words, it looks to be just as gleefully violent. chaotic, obscene and, above all, absurdly good fun.

The first half an hour packs in cameos and fan-service moments that drew loads of cheers from the crowd packed into the auditorium. But the movie isn't just made of throwaway gags; it's clear the team has thought carefully about how to weave Deadpool into the MCU in a meaningful way. Again, I can't talk specifics, but the stakes feel very high indeed.

Sadly, our preview ended shortly after Deadpool finally teamed up with his titular ally, so we only got a small taste of the bromance that the promo campaign has been working so hard to set up. That said, I already get the sense that Ryan Reynolds' degenerate antihero and Hugh Jackman's gruff and tough Wolverine are going to make one hell of an odd couple, and, based on the opening action, I can't wait to see how their powers are put to work throughout the movie.

It all just really worked for me, and the entire cast and crew are evidently so enthusiastic about the characters, the wider Marvel multiverse and telling a fun story in that world. Reynolds and Jackman (who were at the preview event) told attendees that they'd had a ton of fun shooting "Deadpool & Wolverine." And off the back of what I've seen, I'm confident we're in for a blast when the full flick lands, too.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" hits US theaters on Friday, July 26.

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