Marvel is back on top with “Deadpool & Wolverine.” According to studio estimates, the comic-book movie made a staggering $205 million in its first weekend in North American theaters. It shattered the opening record for R-rated films previously held by the first “Deadpool” ($132 million) and notched a spot in the top 10 openings of all time.
Including international showings, where it’s earned an additional $233.3 million from 52 markets, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is looking at a global opening of more than $438.3 million.
Fittingly for both characters’ introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Deadpool & Wolverine” played less like earlier X-Men or Deadpool movies and more like an Avengers pic. In the top domestic opening weekends ever, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is seated in eighth place between “The Avengers” ($207.4 million) and “Black Panther” ($202 million), bumping “Avengers: Age of Ultron” ($191.3 million) out of the top 10.
It’s by far the biggest opening of the year, unseating Disney’s “Inside Out 2” ($154.2 million) and the most tickets a movie has sold in its debut weekend since “Barbie” ($162 million) stormed theaters last July. Playing in 4,210 locations, “Deadpool & Wolverine” also surpassed 2019’s “The Lion King” ($191.8 million) to become the biggest July opening ever and is the 34th consecutive MCU movie to debut in first place. And these are numbers previously thought impossible for an R-rated film.
“It’s great news, full stop,” said Tony Chambers, who leads Disney’s theatrical distribution. “Not only is it great for Disney and Marvel, but it’s also great for the industry. We’ve said it before, but success begets success.”
The Walt Disney Studios release arrived at a pivotal time for an industry grappling with box office returns that continue to run at a double-digit deficit from last year. Disney has played a vital role in the summer season, releasing the top movies in May (“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”), June (“Inside Out 2”) and now July.
The success is also an essential moment for Marvel Studios, which has had several high-profile disappointments lately, most notably in “The Marvels,” which opened to an MCU low of $47 million last November.
Superheroes have been struggling even more elsewhere: Sony, which reached a high point with “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($1.9 billion worldwide), had a new low with “Madame Web,” which barely crossed $100 million.
Marvel’s savior came in the form of two characters who got their start outside of the MCU. Both Deadpool and Wolverine, played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively, existed previously under the 21st Century Fox banner, which for two decades had the rights to Marvel characters like the “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four.” That changed when Disney acquired the studio’s film and TV assets in early 2019, and plans started to shape how all these characters would fit into Kevin Feige’s MCU. In some cases, as with “Fantastic Four,” Marvel Studios is starting fresh. With “Deadpool & Wolverine,” directed by Shawn Levy, the stars were as crucial as their characters.
Going into the weekend, $200 million domestic seemed like a pipe dream. Analysts were more conservative, with predictions in the $160 million range. But from the start of the 3 p.m. Thursday preview screenings, it was clear that “Deadpool & Wolverine” was more powerful. By the end of Friday, it had already made $96 million and received a coveted A CinemaScore.
“Historically, PG-13 is the rating that will get you the biggest bang for your buck,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
“The old rule that R-rated movies have a box office ceiling was literally shattered this weekend. The edgier content enhances their appeal to older teens and young 20-somethings.”
Comscore says it’s one of the top 10 domestic grossing weekends, with $277.5 million. That puts it ahead of this weekend last year, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” helped propel the box office to over $216.9 million in their second weekend.
“This is one for the history books,” Dergarabedian said. “Hopefully, it will continue into August.”
According to Comscore, ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters are estimated. Domestic figures were released on Monday.
1. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” $205 million
2. “Twisters,” $35.3 million
3. “Despicable Me 4,” $14.2 million
4. “Inside Out 2,” $8.3 million
5. “Longlegs,” $6.8 million
6. “A Quiet Place: Day One,” $3 million
7. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” $1.3 million
8. “The Fabulous Four,” $1 million
9. “Fly Me to the Moon,” $750,000
10. “Raayan,” $378,571