Deadpool & Wolverine

One of the quirkiest superheroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Deadpool. His character loves to parody the superhero film genre, and the music for the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine trailer plays along, giving us hyperactive EDM grooves which seem to purposefully overuse several trailer music clichés including the BRAAAM sound, ticking clocks, and “trailer triplets.”.

The trailer opens with the last line of “Happy Birthday” sung to Wade Wilson (Deadpool’s alter ego) by a crowd of friends. The birthday song is diegetic, but atmospheric sustained strings begin fading in at 0:07 under Wade’s sentimental speech. At 0:22 Wade opens his apartment door to a pack of agents from the Time Variance Authority (the TVA was introduced through Marvel’s recent Loki series). From 0:22 to 0:30 we hear four measures of a four-on-the-floor bass drum pattern and a growly synth bass tone swooping downwards. These musical elements are right out of the EDM wheelhouse/library, and they bring a sense of irreverent fun and excitement. The synth bass aligns sonically at 0:27 with a flourish of the TVA agent’s pruning baton, and at that moment that bass feels like it could actually be the sound of such a baton glowing menacingly in the agent’s hand (it’s not too far off from the sound design used for a glowing lightsaber in Star Wars). The obligatory booj sound effect enters at 0:28, heralding a shift in action.

At 0:31, synched to the moment of Wade shutting his apartment door, the music cuts out. This gives sonic space for Wade’s raunchy comment about pegging and his moment of breaking the fourth wall at 0:37. Here’s the Deadpool we know and love.

From 0:39-0:42 we’re treated to a full measure of what we’ve been calling “trailer triplets” here at Trailaurality (see Rebel Moon, Napoleon, Heart of Stone). Predictably used in a musical build during the second half of nearly all action trailers in recent years, these trailer triplets take a common rhythmic pattern (groups of three notes) and juxtapose them into trailer scores which are otherwise using rhythms in groups of two or four This makes these accented triplets’ sudden appearance give a feeling of rushing instability, as though two different types of rhythmic timings are battling for control of the music.

From 0:44 until 1:27, as Wade and a TVA agent named Paradox proceed to interrogate each other, a recurring BRAAAM motif is accompanied by variations of the ticking clock tone. We have been hearing ticking clock sounds in trailers for some years now. Lately though, when ticking clocks are evoked in trailer music, the clock tone is altered or remixed in some way. In this Deadpool trailer, the ticking clock sound comes in and out, with various filters and delay effects applied, so that what started as a ticking clock tone becomes more like a hyperactive EDM or trap hi-hat sound instead.

After a cut to silence at 1:29 so that Wade can whisper his claim of being “Marvel Jesus” (the kind of punch-line disruption endemic to comedy), we have a six-second montage of Deadpool at last suiting-up, accompanied by a barrage of trailer triplets, with double-time triplets thrown in for good measure at 1:33. From 1:36 to 1:53 we see a montage of 10 different fight scenes from the film, in which every single action strike is synched to the rhythm of the music, whether that be a knife hitting flesh, a sword swipe, a gun being pointed, or glass being smashed. This is careful editing. And because every hit point is aligned, this sequence carries the spirit and excitement of the choreography of a pop music video.

Speaking of pop music, note the way that certain exclamatory dialogue lines in this last segment of the trailer like “Oh my f**k!” at 1:44 and “Wait” at 1:54 are placed so that they stand out from the mix in a way that for me is reminiscent of the shout “Oh my God!” in Skrillex’s classic track “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” (listen for that sample around 0:38 and 1:55 in Skrillex’s song).

To close the trailer out, from 2:01 to 2:25, during the sequence where we see Wolverine enter the plot and cast a shadow over Reynolds, we pivot to orchestral cinematic music complete with pulsing ostinati from the string section and pounding drum accents. We are left wondering, will Hugh Jackman give that shadow substance and reprise his role as Wolverine?

Deadpool & Wolverine is Marvel Studios’ only new film slated for release in 2024. This trailer came out on Superbowl Sunday. You could argue that Marvel has a lot riding on this film. Either this film will breathe fresh life into Marvel, or it will be a hilarious commentary on the state of superhero films. Maybe both.

Deadpool & Wolverine is in theatres July 26.

— Jack Hui Litster