Deadpool & Wolverine Go Together like Stray Kids & Madonna

Marvel's only feature film in 2024 features a full range of global pop stars

The Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack might feel like the most eclectic playlist ever – blending different decades, genres and tempos – but the song choices are anything but random. As a brilliant example of sonic storytelling, each track is meticulously placed to elevate the on-screen action, deepen character dynamics and punctuate comedic moments. The music also amplifies the stark contrast between Deadpool's irreverent chaos and Wolverine's brooding intensity, a tension that helped make the movie a smash hit. 

If you like pop stars in Marvel movies, Deadpool & Wolverine delivers. For starters, Madonna's iconic "Like a Prayer"plays during key action sequences and stands out as the unofficial theme song for the Deadpool and Wolverine collaboration. The song doesn't appear on the official soundtrack, but it did inspire an exclusive EP featuring the original track, a remix and a choir rendition. The 1989 hit is one of the more common Madonna songs in movies and television, but no film maximized its emotional and nostalgic power better than Deadpool & Wolverine.

While Madonna's "Like a Prayer" takes the spotlight as the unofficial theme, Stray Kids deliver

another Marvel K-pop crossover with the soundtrack single "Slash." This dark EDM-trap anthem cracked the charts in South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, and in the movie, it provides the backdrop to a famous scene where Deadpool and Wolverine encounter characters from past superhero franchises. 

Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds has been actively involved in helping curate the franchise's music, and he apparently recruited Stray Kids for the soundtrack and even tried to put them in the film. "I just will never forget the look on our line producer's face when I said that there are eight of them," Reynolds recalls. 

Reynold's enthusiasm for Stray Kids began in 2021 when the group competed on the show Kingdom: Legendary War. During one of their performances, Stray Kids member Felix dressed as Deadpool during a mashup of BLACKPINK's "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"and their own hit "God's Menu." The performance went viral on social media and caught the attention of Reynolds, who reached out to the group. Stray Kids ultimately won the competition show. 

The 18-song soundtrack, aptly titled Van Jamz to match the film's road-trip energy, is filled with songs that complement key moments in the movie. In the opening scene, Deadpool unearths Wolverine's skeleton to the sound of The Platters' "Only You (And You Alone)" before wielding the adamantium bones in a wild fight (and dance) sequence set to NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye." This is a brilliant example of sonic conducting as "Bye Bye Bye" was the very song that annoyed Wolverine in X2: X-Men United when it played in Cyclops' car. Another nod to past movies comes during Deadpool's birthday party when Merrilee Rush's "Angel of the Morning" plays, given that Juice Newton's version of the same song appears in the original Deadpool.

In a move rarely seen in cinema, the soundtrack also lifts songs from other soundtracks. For instance, "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News is an Emmy- and Oscar-nominated single from Back to the Future, while "You're the One that I Want" by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John is a chart-topping cornerstone of the musical Grease. Still, the most meta inclusion has to be "The Greatest Show" and "A Million Dreams" from Hugh Jackman's 2017 film The Greatest Showman. Both songs feature the vocal talents of the Wolverine actor. 

Other standout tracks include Waylon Jennings' "I'm a Ramblin' Man," Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You," Aretha Franklin's soulful "You're All I Need to Get By" and Chris de Burgh's "Lady in Red," among others. Several of these songs saw a surge in popularity and renewed sales following their inclusion in the film. To celebrate the eclectic soundtrack, Marvel even curated a Deadpool playlist on Spotify with tracks from all three movies. 

Throughout the Deadpool franchise, music serves as a vital storytelling tool, seamlessly blending with the action to enhance character development and amplify the narrative. Each carefully chosen track shifts audience perceptions, adds emotional resonance and delivers perfectly timed comedic punches. Such masterful integration is the craft of a Sonic Conductor, the person who shapes the way stories are heard and felt in films, TV shows and video games. 

Are you ready to unlock the secrets of sonic storytelling? Learn directly from the creative genius behind the music of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and more! Join our risk-free introductory class and take the first step toward becoming a certified Sonic Conductor. Don’t wait – enroll today and start shaping the soundtracks of tomorrow.