While the 2024 summer started on a sour note, it eventually picked up the pace with releases, including Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4. Now carrying this momentum forward, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine has opened with a huge bang at the box office, making MCU the first film franchise to cross $30B at the global box office.
Moreover, the film, which was predicted to put the gigantic franchise back on the map after a string of disappointments, is tracking for a global opening weekend gross bigger than 7 MCU flicks.
Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine Is Set To Blow 7 MCU Flicks Out of the Water
Following the enormous hype behind Deadpool & Wolverine, which was accompanied by an avid marketing push from the MCU, fans expected it to hit the ground running. Not only Reynolds and Hugh Jackman‘s reunion after the disappointing X-Men Origins live up to fans’ expectations, the positive word of mouth might push its total opening weekend gross to over $400M.
With the film earning $96M from Friday and preview screenings, making it the sixth biggest opening day collection at the domestic box office, it’s now reportedly on track to cross $450M. Not only this would be a huge feat, especially for a rated-R flick, but it would also make its opening weekend gross bigger than the total gross of 7 MCU movies.
This involves, The Marvels‘ $206M, The Incredible Hulk‘s $264M, Captain America: The First Avenger‘s $370M, Black Widow‘s $379M, Eternals‘ $402M, Shang-Chi‘s $432M, and Thor‘s $449M. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that some of the films in this list hit the theatres during COVID-19 and didn’t have the luxury of welcoming the X-Men in the MCU.
Shawn Levy Expected Disney to Pushback on Deadpool 3’s Tone
Considering that 2016’s Deadpool laid the groundwork for more rated-R superhero flicks, many were concerned his addition to the MCU would inevitably lead to the character being toned down. Weighing on this subject, Shawn Levy recalled that he fully expected Disney and Marvel to send requests to tone the film down upon submitting initial drafts and cuts of the film. To his surprise, the pushback never came.
We kept waiting for pushback. We would turn in drafts of the script, we would turn in cuts of the movie, and we waited for what we thought was the inevitable Disney or Marvel request to tone it down; those requests never came. We had absolute creative freedom.
Kevin Feige revealed when Disney acquired Fox, they were determined to stay true to the roots of the Ryan Reynolds-led IP, as taking away from its R-rating would’ve been inappropriate.
Deadpool & Wolverine is currently running in theatres.
