2016's Deadpool features a delightful and subtly respectful reference to Adam West's iconic 1960s Batman era. This is very much in keeping with the overall tone of anarchic irreverence for which both Deadpool and Deadpool 2 are known. The brilliant, irreverent, self-mocking meta-gags, a hallmark of the Deadpool comic books, translate directly onto the big screen in ways that mark the character and movies as distinct from other aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This willingness to reference other movies and franchises extends to DC movie and TV properties. Of these, the reference to the camp classic 1960s Batman TV series is one of the more understated but loving in either of the much-copied Deadpool movies. It occurs when Deadpool is fighting in a car, which causes the music and sounds on the radio to change several times. In the midst of this, there is a moment when one of the noises heard is unmistakably a part of the scene transition music from the 1960s Batman TV show.
Deadpool's 1960s Batman Reference Is The Opposite Of Deadpool 2
This Batman reference in Deadpool is a generous homage to the much-loved show. However, in a more general sense, when it comes to DC movies and TV shows, especially those of the DC Extended Universe, Deadpool's jokes have often been insults. It is fair to say that Deadpool 2's comedy can be seen as being openly critical of the direction the DCEU has taken.
While there are positive references to DC in Deadpool 2, the most hostile of these are also the most obvious. There is a mocking reference to the infamous "Martha" line from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, while Deadpool also claims that Cable is "so dark. You sure you're not from the DC universe." However, the mid-credits scene offers the ultimate metajoke at the expense of both DC and Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds when Deadpool is seen executing Reynolds before he can star in the critically panned DC movie Green Lantern.
Deadpool Proves How 1960s Batman Is Still Iconic
What is remarkable about Deadpool's reference to the Batman TV show is that, despite being incredibly brief, the sound clip is easily recognizable as being from the show. That undoubtedly speaks to how iconic Adam West's era still is because children and adults still love the TV show and what Adam West did with the character of Batman/Bruce Wayne. There can be no doubt that it was camp and silly, but it was also innocent and uncynical, which matched certain aspects of the era it was made.
More than this, the 1960s Batman TV show is fun, and this may be what the makers of Deadpool are able to recognize in their own work. Obviously, the Deadpool movies are tonally very different from Adam West's Batman show. They are more violent and cynical, but they are also humorous and ironic, lean into the absurd, and have fun with their nihilistic silliness. In this way, they may also reflect the time they were made, adding resonance to Deadpool's brilliant reference to the Batman TV show.
