Deadpool: The Anti-Hero VS the Worse Guys

My wife and I went to see Deadpool & Wolverine on opening night. Wolverine was my favorite comic book hero during my middle school days and I loved Deadpool when he first appeared in Marvel Comics back in my Senior year of high school. The idea of a mutant ninja gunslinger resonated with me in my late teens and continues to do so today (I'm still growing up).  

Deadpool reminded me of a mix between the ninjas from the G.I. Joe comics (Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow) and Boba Fett. I was immediately hooked and fascinated by this character.  Fast forward over thirty-years-later . . .

Without giving any spoilers, although I expected some profanity, this R-rated movie was far-too crude, extremely profane, and ultra obscene (although it contained zero nudity or sex scenes). With that said, although I do not endorse this movie and do not encourage people to see it (I will not be seeing it again), the movie was oddly a breath of fresh air since it was not woke -- it made fun of wokeness -- and no left-wing agendas were being shoved down our throats. Deadpool & Wolverine was simply a story for the sake of a story (just like the good ol' days five years ago).  

I am always preaching about being mindful of the media we consume. We ought not just passively ingest whatever is offered to us as entertainment, but we ought to constantly actively analyze our entertainment "worldviewishly." I have practiced this so much over the years that I can't even watch a television commercial without evaluating it on this deeper level these days. I certainly practiced what I preach during Deadpool & Wolverine, and that's probably why I often found myself thinking deeply when the rest of the packed out theater was rolling in the aisles. 

Like it or not, Deadpool has become a national icon and people love him! He's not always the nicest guy. He's crude. He's obscene. He's mean. He's deadly and does not always care about how much carnage he leaves behind. He's anything but Superman. 

Why do people love to root for this crude "merc with a mouth"? Because Deadpool is an "anti-hero" who often does the right thing . . . even if it's for the wrong reasons. 

What is an Anti-Hero? 

According to Wikipedia:

An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) is a main character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions that most of the audience considers morally correct, their reasons for doing so may not align with the audience's morality.

Antiheroes typically possess the following attributes:

- Imperfections that separate them from typical heroes (such as selfishness, arrogance, cynicism, bigotry, etc.)

- Lack of positive qualities

- Qualities considered to be dark traits (such as amorality, greed, vanity, etc.)

Other notable "anti-heroes" include Samson (see Judges 16), The Mandalorian and Boba Fett (back before Star Wars went woke), Indiana Jones and Han Solo (thanks to Harrison Ford), Tony Stark (a.k.a., Iron Man), John McClane of Die Hard fame, Jack Sparrow, John Wick (one of my favorites), and Elon Musk (a real life Tony Stark). Deadpool and Wolverine are two antiheroes who have teamed up this summer and so many folks cheer for them, yet feel a little dirty doing so. 

But these guys get the job done and defeat evil -- even if they are crude, obscene, and mean in the process. They ultimately protect your family and your neighbors even if they do it for selfish motives.

Side note: Now it's time to take a moment to "break the fourth wall" and address my usual detractors who ridicule me for appealing to Marvel movies to (once again) make great points about reality. Buckle up!

Donaldpool

Strangely, in 2024 this popular movie provides a microcosm of the real world. People love Deadpool, and for the same reasons people love Donald J. Trump. Trump might not be the stereotypical "hero," but nevertheless, he is hated by evil villains. Indeed, Trump is an anti-hero who opposes the evil leftist radicals and is committed to "fight, fight, fight" against their Marxist agenda (see "A Moral Obligation to Vote for an Immoral Candidate"). That makes Trump our "anti-hero." 

In a recent interview, Dr. Phil encouraged Trump to "be the hero" after he wins the presidency once again. I will cheer for him to step up and become the hero America and the entire world needs. But given the fact that the alternative to Trump is pure evil with a Marxist mindset, I'll take Trump the anti-hero every day. 

“I’m no hero. I’m just a bad guy who worse guys.” 

- Deadpool

If we can root for Deadpool to fight the worse guys, then we should vote for Trump to fight the worse guys. Indeed, if we truly love our neighbors (as Jesus commanded -- Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39; Luke 10:25-37), then, since Superman is not running for office, we ought to vote for the mouthy anti-hero who fights against the leftist radicals seeking to harm your neighbors. 

Stay reasonable (Isaiah 1:18),

Dr. Tim Stratton

Spoiler Alert!

Okay, after talking to my friend Micah Kunkle, I changed my mind about not offering any spoilers. Stop reading now if you don't want to see it. 

During the movie, Deadpool says that he wants to be a hero -- that he needs to be an Avenger. It's ironic because he wants to be a hero for selfish reasons (to impress a girl) -- which is the antithesis of a hero. This ultimately leads Deadpool to lie to Wolverine in an attempt to manipulate him into fighting for Deadpool's purposes. 

At the end of the story, however, Deadpool has changed and is now willing to take Wolverine's place as a sacrifice. Deadpool recalls the words of Happy Hogan earlier in the film when he points out that Deadpool wants to be an Avenger because he needs it, but the Avengers do the job because the world needs them. Hogan's words of wisdom plants a seed that finally takes root and begins to sprout. 

In the climax of the movie, as Deadpool attempts to sacrifice his life for Wolverine and others he says:

"I'm not doing it cause I need it, I'm doing it because they do." 

The anti-hero finally started to get it, and he was willing to sacrifice himself for others (John 15:13).

I also believe that Trump is in a similar situation and that he has been transformed from a self-centered narcissist into someone who is willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of America's foundational interests -- God-given equal and unalienable human rights -- and "We the People." I do not believe Trump stands to gain anything from a second term. Indeed, he has much to lose! Trump has already lost so much money in unjust lawsuits and a leftist radical literally tried to assassinate him. It seems to me that Trump is not running for President because he needs it. Trump is running for a second term because he is the anti-hero America needs as our President at this weird point in history.  To be clear: Trump is not our savior. He's not our messiah. He's not even a Christian. Trump is merely a "Deadpool-type-figure" (an anti-hero) in this election cycle fighting against an evil Marxist machine. I also think that Trump's similarity to Deadpool is exactly why some Christians are uncomfortable voting for him. Be that as it may, the alternative for your neighbor is "the worse guys."