Deadpool & Wolverine: A strong plot undone my constant meandering
Est vs Actual domestic box office revenue: $441 - 537/$637MM
Ideal Plot structure reconstructed with 4 mythological tales increase revenues by ~1.5X
In Deadpool & Wolverine, director Shawn Levy creates a great chemistry between two iconic characters of Wade & Logan. The movie is about Wade’s search for Logan, the only person who can save his universe. The story explores basic human desires of expedition, power & sacrifice. Mythosis extracts the plot structure of the movie with 4 mythological tales to estimate and unlock its potential.
1. Mythological tales reveal the invisible plot structure of any story
1A. 91% of the events are borrowed from 4 mythological tales
Wade's quest is driven by the desire to find an elusive person/object and mirrors the tale of Jason from Greek mythology. Both Jason & Wade overcome multiple challenges to acquire and return with the coveted person/object.
Logan’s quest is driven by the desire to collect & own and mirrors the tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Logan repent being self-centered & transform.
Paradox’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others mirrors the tale of Circe from Greek mythology. Both Circe & Paradox create a façade of godliness to dupe others.
Every human desire has two quests - a fulfilled one and also an unfulfilled one. Deadpool & Wolverine uses both quests for the desire to dominate others. Paradox mirrors part of the fulfilled quest whereas Cassandra mirrors the unfulfilled quest.
Cassandra’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others mirrors the tale of Ravan from Hindu mythology. Both Ravan & Cassandra acquire unscrupulously with sheer disregard for the consequences.
Wade also has an underdeveloped quest driven by the desire to be accepted. And mirrors a few events from the tale of Theseus from Greek mythology. Both Theseus & Wade strive to get accepted by their loved ones.
Laura & team also have an underdeveloped quest of honour & loyalty.
Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
1B. 32 mythological tales are the source of all stories, even the untold ones
Human beings are driven by 16 fundamental desires. Every desire, whether encountering fulfilment or unfulfillment, gives rise to two distinct quests. Thus, a spectrum of 32 unique quests mirrors every human desire.
We have discovered mythological tales from across civilizations that uniquely portray each one of these 32 human quests. While each mythological tale stands as a distinct quest, the true magic unfolds when these tales are combined. This synergy is evident in the epics of Odyssey and Ramayan, where various universal quests seamlessly intertwine.
Combining any five tales from the 32, generates a staggering 24 million unique story plots. Take it a step further, by combining six tales the possibilities explode to an astounding 600 million!
The unique plot structure of Deadpool & Wolverine is # 530,299. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Jason, Circe, Valmiki & Ravan.
2. Plot structure potential of Deadpool & Wolverine: $441-537MM
2A. Plot structure evaluation
An analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plots has led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the story principles shared by all Blockbusters. We use the Code to estimate a story’s potential.
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Deadpool & Wolverine uses 4 universal quests of Expedition, Power (both quests) and Accumulation.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Wade mirrors the quest of Expedition. Logan mirrors the universal quest of Accumulation. Paradox & Cassandra mirror the two universal quests of Power.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Wade borrows 68% of events from the quest for Expedition. Logan borrows 36% from the quest of Accumulation. Paradox borrows 10% from the fulfilled quest of Power whereas Cassandra borrows 24% from the unfulfilled quest.
Blockbusters interweave different quests to create a tight plot structure. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. The quest interweaving score of Deadpool & Wolverine is 0.50 and is at par. An example of interweaving the quests of Wade & Paradox:
2B. Estimating revenue potential from the plot structure
The plot structure of Deadpool & Wolverine meets all the first principles of storytelling except for a deep third character quest.
We have created an algorithm by assigning weights to the principles of The Mythosis Code. The algorithm calculates the potency of a story’s plot structure and estimates its corresponding audience appeal. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Deadpool & Wolverine has a script potential score is 0.41 and the movie will appeal to 11.92 – 14.57% of the population. Our estimate of the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal is $441 – 537MM in the domestic market.
3. The ideal plot structure of Deadpool & Wolverine
We have identified 32 universal quests that represent every human desire. These quests are the superset of thousands of stories across cultures that reflect our collective subconscious. Each quest has a structured sequence of events divided into 5 major arcs.
We map a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale (universal quest) which reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. The ideal Plot Structure is constructed by plugging these gaps with the missing events from the tale. These events strengthen both the journey of characters as well as the weaving of quests without altering the story.
3A. Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Wade mirrors the universal quest for Expedition
Wade’s desire for Expedition stems from the need to find an elusive person/object. The tale of Jason from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Expedition.
Quest 2: Logan mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Logan’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 3: Paradox mirrors the universal quest for Power
Paradox’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal fulfilled quest for Power.
Quest 4: Cassandra also mirrors the universal quest for Power
Cassandra’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Ravan from Hindu mythology is the universal unfulfilled quest for Power.
3B. Gaps in the current plot structure
The ideal plot structure of Deadpool & Wolverine (#530,299) is a blockbuster plot structure that interweaves 4 universal quests of Expedition, Accumulation & Power (both the quests).
However, the current plot structure of Deadpool & Wolverine borrows only a part of the ideal plot structure. It relies on the quests of Wade & Logan while leaving the quests of both Paradox & Cassandra shallow.
Moreover, Wade has two quests. Besides, finding Logan to save his universe he also wants to be accepted by Vanessa. Characters with multiple quests are inconsistent and adversely impact the plot structure.
3C. Unlocking the hidden potential
The first intervention amends Wade’s quest by removing the quest of Acceptance.
The second intervention builds the quest of Cassandra by borrowing from the tale of Ravan which improves the interweaving of quests thereby making the story cohesive.
The ideal plot structure increases the current revenues by ~1.5X!
Tags:2024, Accumulation, Blockbuster movies, Circe, Expedition, Jason, Mythology, Paul Wernick, Plot Structure, Power, Prediction, Rhett Reese, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, storytelling, Valmiki, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Zeb Wells
