Deadpool & Wolverine has now grossed over US$1 billion worldwide, marking a significant milestone as the 34th instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the first R-rated film in the franchise to do so. The film, which is also the first in the MCU led by Ryan Reynolds’ titular character, began its journey with a record-breaking opening weekend, quickly surpassing The Passion of the Christ to become the highest-grossing R-rated North American release ever.
According to Variety, Deadpool & Wolverine is the second film this year to reach such a significant figure, following Pixar’s Inside Out 2. Notably, it is only the second R-rated film, after 2019’s Joker, to achieve this feat, and the 55th film in cinematic history to surpass the billion-dollar threshold, with the vast majority of these films released this century.
The success of Deadpool & Wolverine is particularly poignant given the recent financial struggles at Marvel Studios. Before this film, the most recent theatrical release, The Marvels, was the lowest-grossing movie in the franchise and reported significant financial losses for the company. In stark contrast, Deadpool & Wolverine has not only revitalised the box office prospects for Marvel and Disney but also underscored the enduring appeal of its lead stars, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
Directed by Shawn Levy, this third Deadpool instalment is proving to be a juggernaut in the superhero genre. It marks the first superhero film to cross the US$1 billion mark since Spider-Man: No Way Home over two and a half years ago and is the first Marvel/Disney MCU film to do so since Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Currently, it is poised to surpass Joker as the top-grossing R-rated film globally.
Deadpool & Wolverine kicked off with a massive opening weekend and quickly outpaced the entire global earnings of the first two Deadpool films within just two weekends. The initial Deadpool film grossed US$363.1 million in North American cinemas and US$782.6 million globally, while the sequel brought in US$318.5 million in North American cinemas and US$734.5 million worldwide.
Deadpool & Wolverine continues to perform strongly at the box office, but how high it will climb in the overall MCU rankings remains to be seen. While it may not reach the heights of No Way Home, which had already crossed the billion-dollar mark by its second weekend, the film’s current trajectory suggests it could soon find itself among the top five MCU titles of all time.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
