“Deadpool & Wolverine” defied expectations during its opening weekend, amassing $211 million at the domestic box office. This impressive figure marks the sixth-largest debut in box office history.
Initial projections on Sunday had estimated the film would gross $205 million, a figure that would have already set records as the highest opening weekend of the year and the most significant for an R-rated film. However, Monday’s final numbers revealed that “Deadpool & Wolverine” outperformed these predictions. The film has now accumulated $444.3 million worldwide within just three days of its release.
In terms of domestic box office debuts, only five films have surpassed “Deadpool & Wolverine” in their opening weekends: “Avengers: Endgame” with $357 million, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” with $260 million, “Avengers: Infinity War” with $257 million, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” with $247 million, and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” with $220 million. Each of these films crossed the $1 billion threshold with relative ease, and “Deadpool & Wolverine” seems poised to follow in their footsteps. Should it join the billion-dollar club, it would become only the second R-rated film to achieve this milestone, joining 2019’s “Joker,” which grossed $1.07 billion globally.
The film’s remarkable performance can be attributed to its highly anticipated merger of comic book characters previously licensed to 20th Century Fox now being integrated into Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Fans flocked to theaters in droves, eager to experience the latest installment directed by Shawn Levy and to witness Hugh Jackman’s return as the iconic mutant Logan.
Over the weekend, Disney’s MCU reached a new milestone, becoming the first film franchise to surpass $30 billion in global box office revenue. While not every MCU entry has been a financial success—films such as “Eternals,” “The Marvels,” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” struggled at the box office—the franchise remains a dominant force in the industry, distinguished by its consistent commercial appeal.
