Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman star in Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Disney
The “Merc with a Mouth” is breaking even more box office records.
Over the weekend, Disney and Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” became only the second R-rated film to top $1 billion at the global box office. And it’s on its way to becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
Currently, that record is held by Warner Bros.’ “Joker,” which tallied $1.078 billion during is theatrical run in 2019, according to data from Comscore. As of Sunday’s estimated numbers, “Deadpool & Wolverine” has tallied $1.029 billion.
“This film set the blueprint for how to create the perfect box office beast, from a novel marketing strategy that included a viral popcorn bucket to a perfect release date, Ryan Reynolds’ tireless promotion of the film and, most importantly, a great movie that was embraced by critics and fans alike, led up to this moment a mere three weeks into the film’s amazing run in theatres across the globe,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Another great moment for Disney after what was a rather slow post-pandemic period for the studio.”
This third stand-alone feature starring Ryan Reynolds as the regenerating degenerate has already posted the highest opening of any film released in 2024 and holds the record for the highest debut of an R-rated film ever.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is the first R-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe flick, as the previous two Deadpool films were produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Disney acquired that studio back in 2019.
It is also the second Disney film to top $1 billion at the global box office this year. Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has generated more than $1.5 billion since its opening in June. Box office analysts expect “Deadpool & Wolverine” won’t be the last for the company this year, either. “Moana 2” is set to hit theaters over the Thanksgiving holiday and forecasts suggest it could also reach the billion-dollar mark.
These massive box office successes come after a string of misfires from Disney’s traditionally bulletproof franchises, including the lowest opening and lowest haul for a Marvel film ever. As Disney seeks to rebuild its reputation and recapture magic at the box office, it is relying heavily on existing, and beloved, franchises. During the company’s biannual D23 Expo, it shared details about upcoming titles from all of its studios.
This includes major animated sequels like “Toy Story 5,” “Zootopia 2,” “Frozen III” and “Incredibles 3,” as well as a slew of new Marvel titles like “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts*,” “The Fantastic 4: First Steps,” “Blade,” “Avengers: Doomsday” (previously titled “Avengers: Kang Dynasty) and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” There was also footage shown of “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” the first Star War film set to grace the big screen since “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019.
It’s no surprise Disney is going back to the well with these films. The Toy Story franchise has generated $3.2 billion at the global box office, the two Frozen films surpassed $2.7 billion worldwide, the two Incredibles films tallied $1.8 billion globally, and “Zootopia” reached $1 billion worldwide during its run in 2016.
As for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, topping $30 billion at the global box office since 2008. And Star Wars has a solid track record, too, generating more than $10 billion in ticket sales since “A New Hope” hit theaters in 1977.
“The billion dollar box office club may not be the singular metric by which theatrical success is defined, but it is still emblematic of a film’s ability to capture the global zeitgeist,” said Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory, a theatrical and box office consultation and analysis firm. “‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ has done that in a resounding way, making Disney and Marvel’s return to the ten-digit summit worth celebrating.”