What would the plot of “Deadpool and Wolverine” be anyway? They aren’t rivals. Their stars — Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman — are friends with a huge social media following. Plus Wolverine died in the movie, “Logan.”

So “D&W” is a MAD magazine send up of Marvel. It’s hilariously funny but it’s also more a souvenir, a victory lap rather than actual movie.

Here’s the headline: there is no Lady Deadpool. That was a canard made up for clickbait. Neither Blake Lively nor Taylor Swift is in the movie. But everybody else in the world is, it seems!

Here’s the deal: Wade Wilson aka Deadpool can’t get a job. He wants to join The Avengers, so he gets a meeting with Jon Favreau, aka Happy Hogan, who works for Tony Stark (even though Tony is dead). Hogan turns him down but not before there’s a lot of tongue in cheek banter about what Stark’s aide de camp actually does for the Avengers. There’s a lot banter in this movie.

Eventually, the movie’s idea reveals itself. Deadpool is recruited by the Timeline Department of Marvel. This is a joke because with all the multiverses, characters have now existed in many iterations, alive, dead, who knows what. Deadpool must go and find the right iteration of Wolverine to help him earn his stripes and rescue the world from the latest enemy. That happens to be Emma Corrin, former Princess Diana from “The Crown,” who is now the long lost sister of Charles Xavier from “X Men.”

What happens next, in lieu of an actual movie, is a hoot. Just as MAD Magazine might do, Deadpool and Wolverine run into a gang of 2nd tier Marvel superheroes who never got second movies, or franchises, or any respect. They are the miscellaneous Marvelites. They bring with them a ton of inside wink wink jokes about their characters, the actors who play them, the movies they were in, and so on. They break the fourth wall and maybe the fifth, delivering enough Easter eggs to fill several baskets.

Not that “D&W” is all talk, although Deadpool is still a motor mouth. Wolverine is an action hero, and there is plenty of it to counterpoint the chitchat. As they battle each other, and others, the special effects are outrageously good. It’s rated R, but the violence is cartoonish enough that Reynolds and Lively’s four young daughters were in the audience at the premiere.

But this so MAD magazine. A lot of the fun centers around Disney — home of Marvel — having bought and killed off 20th Century Fox, which had the X Men movies. Because the companies merged in real life, Deadpool and Wolverine can finally be in a buddy movie.

This point is driven home quite often. When the guys happen into a set that looks like “Mad Max” meets “Planet of the Apes,” the 20th Century Fox logo is sinking into the sand, just a ruin of its former glory. (Wait for the penultimate credits, which feature an emotional farewell to the “X Men” movies.)

Reynolds and Jackman are like Bob Hope and Bing Crosby on The Road to Marvel. They never miss a beat. Their comic timing is flawless. For Reynolds especially, the quipping never ends. At one point, Deadpool suggests Wolverine perform the second act of “The Music Man” — in which Jackman starred on Broadway. I wish the big screen had had closed captions. But you will hear jokes about Jackman’s real life divorce, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s, and so on. There were a couple of gasps in the movie theater when some it went too far. But the jokes stop short of anything hurtful. It’s all in fun.

The soundtrack is composed of 80s hits, a la “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The big set piece is Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” Writer Patrick Leonard should be getting a huge check as that song could mount a chart Renaissance. There’s also Huey Lewis and the News, and lots more.

Mark my words. “D&W” will make $200 million in less than 10 days. Maybe more, sooner. Marvel Universe fans will go back ten times to see their world lampooned. But it doesn’t take three hours. Director Shawn Levy manages to keep this very concise. There’s no fat. (I’d love to see the outtakes.) It’s two hours, with half of it devoted to character exposition including the great Leslie Uggams now making their appearance as the raunchy Blind Al.

Will there be a sequel? I’ll tell you this: now that Wolverine has been resurrected in some form, the sky’s the limit.

By all means, as this duo often says, “Let’s f***ing go!” And definitely pick up the specially designed popcorn bucket.

PS This is the only Marvel movie this year, after many failures since the final Avengers film. Enjoy it like a big dessert.

Disney’s #DeadpoolAndWolverine premiere last night in New York was like a midsummer Halloween party.

The studio says Madoona was there but no one saw her (she didn’t mix with the hoi polloi). She may have been dressed like some of the guests, as a comic book character or a ketchup or mustard bottle.

Aside from the cast, the audience at The Koch Theater in Lincoln Center comprised. randomly, Jimmy Fallon, Avril Lavigne, members of Nsync, and Rami Malek (who sneaked in a side entrance and avoided the red carpet — his girlfriend, Emma Corrin, plays the bald baddie sister of an X Man). There were a lot of self described influencers. I did have the great pleasure of meeting Sunny Hostin from “The View.” She’s going with Beshear for vice president, she told me.

The biggest hit of the night? The custom plastic popcorn buckets, designed by Ryan Reynolds. Only problem: the ears kept falling off the superhero heads. But the hole in the center wax a good place to hide the sample bottles of Reynolds’ Aviation gin!

Reviews this afternoon of this MAD magazine parody of a Marvel movie. Lots of cameos. Wink wink jokes, and Easter eggs galore!

Here’s the trailer for the year’s hottest film. Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in Joker: Folie a Deux. Coming October 4th.

Not only does Gaga look like a winner here, but the prospect of a best song and new hit album adds to the excitement.

The movie was just announced for the Venice Film Festival, too.

Angelina Jolie’s directorial effort, “Without Blood,” will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Two of her kids — Pax and Maddox — are listed in the cast that includes Salma Hayek and Damien Bachir.

“Without Blood” is about the ravages of war, and was shot in Italy two years ago.

Jolie will cause a media sensation off the wall, as they say. But she’s a good director, and her work is taken seriously.

Also coming are documentaries about Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen.

Paul Schrader’s highly praised (from Cannes) “Oh Canada” will premiere, which makes sense because of its title.

The rest of the TIFF offerings look pretty exciting. The festival begins September 5th.

Galas 2024 (in alphabetical order)
*Previously announced

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe Cosima Spender | UK
World Premiere

Better Man Michael Gracey | USA
Canadian Premiere

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz | South Africa
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title

*Eden Ron Howard | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

*Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish | USA
World Premiere

*Harbin Woo Min-ho | South Korea
World Premiere

Meet the Barbarians Julie Delpy | France
International Premiere
Sales Title

*Nutcrackers David Gordon Green | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Oh, Canada Paul Schrader | USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Thom Zimny | USA
World Premiere

*Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti | India
World Premiere

*The Deb Rebel Wilson | Australia
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Friend Scott McGehee, David Siegel | USA
International Premiere
Sales Title

The Penguin Lessons Peter Cattaneo | Spain/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Return Uberto Pasolini | Italy/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Shrouds David Cronenberg | Canada/France
North American Premiere
Sales Title

*The Wild Robot Chris Sanders | USA
World Premiere

Unstoppable William Goldenberg | USA
World Premiere

Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum | USA
International Premiere

Special Presentations 2024 (in alphabetical order)
*Previously announced

40 Acres R.T. Thorne | Canada
World Premiere

All of You William Bridges | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

All We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia | France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg
Canadian Premiere

Anora Sean Baker | USA
Canadian Premiere

Bird Andrea Arnold | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews | Ireland/Belgium
World Premiere

Can I Get A Witness? Ann Marie Fleming | Canada
World Premiere

Carnival is Over Fernando Coimbra | Brazil/Portugal
World Premiere
Sales Title

Caught by the Tides Jia Zhang-Ke | China
North American Premiere

Conclave Edward Berger | USA/United Kingdom
International Premiere

Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico
Canadian Premiere

Hard Truths Mike Leigh | United Kingdom/Spain
World Premiere

Harvest Athina Rachel Tsangari | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Heretic Scott Beck, Bryan Woods | Canada
World Premiere

I’m Still Here Walter Salles | Brazil/France
North American Premiere

I, the Executioner Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea
North American Premiere

*K-Pops Anderson .Paak | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Love in the Big City E.oni | South Korea
World Premiere
Sales Title

Millers in Marriage Edward Burns | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Misericordia Alain Guiraudie | Spain/Portugal/France
Canadian Premiere

*Nightbitch Marielle Heller | USA
World Premiere

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni | Zambia/United Kingdom/Ireland
North American Premiere

Piece by Piece Morgan Neville | USA
International Premiere

Quisling – The Final Days Erik Poppe | Norway
International Premiere
Sales Title

Relay David Mackenzie | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

*Rez Ball Sydney Freeland | USA
World Premiere

Riff Raff Dito Montiel | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson | Canada/Germany
North American Premiere

Sharp Corner Jason Buxton | Canada/Ireland
World Premiere
Sales Title

*Shepherds Sophie Deraspe | Canada/France
World Premiere
Sales Title

Sketch Seth Worley | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Assessment Fleur Fortuné | United Kingdom/Germany/USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Cut Sean Ellis | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title

The End Joshua Oppenheimer | Denmark/UK
Canadian Premiere

The Fire Inside Rachel Morrison | USA
World Premiere

The Girl with the Needle Magnus von Horn | Denmark/Poland/Sweden
North American Premiere

The Last Showgirl Gia Coppola | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

*The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Order Justin Kurzel | Canada/USA
North American Premiere

The Piano Lesson Malcolm Washington | USA
International Premiere

*We Live in Time John Crowley | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere

Went Up the Hill Samuel Van Grinsven | New Zealand/Australia
World Premiere
Sales Title

Without Blood Angelina Jolie | USA/Italy
World Premiere
Sales Title

Young Werther José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title