‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Breaks Records, Pushes Marvel to $30B

“Deadpool & Wolverine,” the third installment featuring Ryan Reynolds as the foul-mouthed superhero Deadpool, grossed $205 million domestically in its opening weekend. This remarkable debut ranks as the eighth highest-grossing opening weekend of all time. Additionally, it shattered the franchise’s records for the biggest R-rated opening weekend, surpassing the $132.4 million debut of “Deadpool” and the $125.5 million of “Deadpool 2.” These figures highlight the enduring popularity and growing success of the Deadpool series.

The film’s domestic debut of $205 million also made it the biggest film opening of the year, easily outpacing “Inside Out 2,” which earned $154.2 million, and “Dune: Part Two,” which brought in $82.5 million. This outstanding performance delivered the best weekend for the Marvel Cinematic Universe since “Avengers: Endgame,” the second highest-grossing film ever. At San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige announced that this success had pushed the MCU past the $30 billion global gross mark, further solidifying its status as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.

Exceeding its initial estimates of $160 to $170 million, “Deadpool & Wolverine” significantly outperformed expectations. The weekend box office rankings saw Glen Powell’s “Twisters” coming in second with $35.3 million, followed by “Despicable Me 4” at $14.2 million, “Inside Out 2” in fourth place with $8.3 million, and “Longlegs” rounding out the top five with an additional $6.7 million. These numbers underscore the overwhelming success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” compared to other releases.

The film’s promotional efforts included a highly creative and well-received worldwide press tour featuring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Their appearance at South Korea’s Waterbomb Festival on July 5, where they played with massive water guns, went viral and drew a humorous response from Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, who posted on Instagram, “When he tells you he’s going to work and then you see him on MTV Spring Break.” The pair also made appearances on popular viral shows like “Chicken Shop Date” and “Hot Ones,” took a friendship quiz for GQ, and even competed in a chimichanga cook-off with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. These promotional activities added to the film’s buzz and contributed to its record-breaking performance.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” outperformed the debut weekends of several major films, including “Black Panther” (2018), “The Lion King” (2019), and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015). It now ranks just behind “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” (2015), “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017), “Jurassic World” (2015), and “The Avengers” (2012) in terms of domestic opening weekend gross. This places “Deadpool & Wolverine” among the elite in box office history.

Due to delays caused by last year’s actors and writers strikes, along with Marvel’s strategic decision to slow down production, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is the only MCU film scheduled for release this year. Looking ahead, next year will feature several highly anticipated Marvel films, including “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts,” “The Fantastic Four,” and “Blade.” At Comic-Con, it was also revealed that Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors behind the last two Avengers movies, will helm the next two installments: “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret War,” slated for release in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Additionally, Robert Downey Jr. will return to the Marvel Universe, this time portraying Dr. Victor von Doom in “Avengers: Doomsday,” adding further excitement for Marvel fans.