There’s so much fourth-wall breaking in Deadpool & Wolverine that you’d likely be unsurprised to find Ryan Reynolds in the seat next to yours at any point while you’re watching the movie.

But it’s hard to imagine any other character besides Deadpool to help guide the audience through both the tangle of cords that forms the Marvel multiverse and the finer points of transitioning characters once owned by 20th Century Fox to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadpool’s running meta-commentary functions as audio footnotes reminding us who everyone is and where they came from.

It wouldn’t be fair to review the film in a way that gives away any of the movie’s delightful surprises (especially the cameo that turns into an even bigger surprise moments later), but it is possible to write about the basic plot of the film – up to a point.

As the movie begins, Wade Williams/Deadpool (Reynolds) is not in a good place. He and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) have a friendship that is strained at best. His roommate Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) wants the rent…and some cocaine. Wade shoots for the stars career-wise, but ends up selling cars with his pal Peter Wisdom (Rob Delaney).

Then, as he’s trying to muster up enough enthusiasm to celebrate his birthday with his friends, there’s a knock at the door. Soldiers from the Time Variance Authority (as seen in the Loki series) want Deadpool to come in for a chat. He doesn’t go willingly.

Once at the TVA offices, though, the man in charge, Mr Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), tries to sell Deadpool on a special mission to travel to Earth-616 and join the Avengers – basically becoming the hero he really wants to be, despite his apparent disdain for anything serious.

There’s a catch, though, as there always is, and to get around it, Deadpool must team up with a Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman for the most part. That’s really all you need to know going in, because the plot of the film is just a slight structure onto which director Shawn Levy hangs Reynolds’ rapid-fire snark, the demolishing of the fourth wall (literally, in one instance), more surprise cameos/characters than any budget should allow, ironic music cues and what might be the most vugarity, gore and homo-erotic text (you can’t call it subtext) ever found in the script of a Disney movie.

Reynolds and Jackman have amazing chemistry whether they’re fighting or flirting (that’s mostly on Deadpool’s side), and even though the film is mostly gimmickry, it’s seriously fun gimmickry. As this is the only MCU movie Marvel is releasing this year, it’s a relief to find that it’s this enjoyable to watch.

For those who need to know these things, there is no mid-credits sequence. There is something going on during the credits that fans of the various franchises may want to see, and that leads into a single post-credits scene.

Deadpool & Wolverine is only in theaters now.