Deadpool & Wolverine Is the Latest Movie Franchise to Cash In on Brand Deals

The reviews for Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine are in, and they’re nearly as brutal as the hand-to-claw combat in the superhero action flick itself. The Los Angeles Times describes it as “manic meta mush,” and TheWrap calls it an exercise in “corporate synergy.” 

Meanwhile, Vulture damns it with this faint praise: “It’s so determined to beat you down with its incessant irreverence that you might find yourself submitting to it.”

But repeat after us: This will not matter. Who cares about critics? Not this target audience. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and others will show up in droves, likely pushing the R-rated movie to record-breaking receipts. Box-office projections range from $160 million to $200 million in the U.S. alone, per Variety, which will provide a much-needed boost to the struggling American theater business.

Brands, not surprisingly, want to collaborate with this blockbuster franchise, which can’t attract many family-friendly sponsors because of its over-the-top violence and profanity. But its billion-dollar history and the star power of real-life close friends Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have helped draw in a raft of partners across booze, fast food and gaming, among other categories.

Reynolds himself is no stranger to the marketing industry, having launched creative shop Maximum Effort and invested in brands including Aviation American Gin, Mint Mobile and Wrexham FC. Maximum Effort does much of the heavy lifting for Deadpool, starting with a Super Bowl teaser in February that snagged 365 million views in 24 hours, becoming the most-watched trailer of all time.

ADWEEK has rounded up some of the most notable swag and promotions tied to the flick, which opens Friday. Grab some popcorn—in a limited-edition Deadpool & Wolverine souvenir bucket, of course—and dig in.

Aviation American Gin