‘Suck it Fox, I’m going to Disneyland,’ Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) declares in a film that’s never less than aggressively knowing. Mischievously rebranding himself as Marvel Jesus, the snarky superhero is out to save the ailing MCU in his first outing for the franchise, with another Fox alumnus, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), huffily in tow.

The plot is a bit of a head-scratcher. It sees Deadpool striving to save his dying universe and the friends that exist within it by restoring the timeline’s ‘anchor being’, the deceased Logan/Wolverine. When Deadpool defies Mr Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), a bureaucrat at the Time Variance Authority with dastardly plans, himself and an alternate version of Wolverine are plunged into The Void, a Mad Max-esque 20th Century Fox wasteland, where some of the studio’s forgotten characters reside (cue a shedload of cameos, which won’t be ruined here). The Void is controlled by Charles Xavier’s powerful and twisted twin, Cassandra (Emma Corrin).

As you’d expect, there are ironically scored, slow-mo set-pieces aplenty which, given that we’re playing by Deadpool’s rules now, pack more of a grisly punch. While Reynolds showboats in a role that still fits him as snugly as his superhero suit, Jackman is likeably grizzled, though Logan’s more emotionally tortured arc is at odds with the relentlessly meta, gag-rich script. These real-life pals share chemistry, even if their dynamic could use refining. Macfadyen’s white-collar weasel schtick is welcome, with Corrin also well cast as the creepy Cassandra.

Its reliance on nostalgia and aging action heroes means Deadpool & Wolverine is in some ways a step backwards for a franchise that finds itself in a fix, but it’s hard not to admire its pure entertainment value, with director and co-writer Shawn Levy (Free Guy) going big on energy. Whether resurrecting old Fox favourites and mercilessly parodying the product is the secret to long-term MCU success seems doubtful but, honestly, this is about as much fun as these movies get.

Deadpool & Wolverine is in cinemas from Thursday 25 July.