The Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman superhero buddy film, directed by Shawn Levy, has joined the billion-dollar box office club alongside movies like The Avengers and the last two Star Wars installments. Deadpool & Wolverine crossed the billion-dollar mark on Saturday, according to studio estimates, making it only the second movie this year to reach that milestone, alongside Inside Out 2. It also set a record for the fastest ticket sales for an R-rated release. Global ticket sales have reached $1.029 billion, with $535.1 million from domestic markets and $496.9 million internationally.
Combined that makes for the sixth-biggest weekend in theatrical history and the biggest of this summer, not adjusted for inflation. It’s also a record-setting milestone for Merc with the Mouth, which is on track to become only the third movie to reach the $1 billion mark in his career, and it’s a massive win for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Of course, Deadpool & Wolverine was helped along by its much bigger opening day than the original film and its sequel in North America, which made it easier for audiences to get into theaters. The movie is still on a solid pace to reach the $230 million mark in North American box office receipts, and it’s already passed up the entire lifetime run of Deadpool 2 domestically.
In addition, the film has climbed to No. 5 on the list of highest-grossing movies in history worldwide. That’s okay for a franchise that started outside of the MCU under the 20th Century Fox banner, where it existed for two decades before Disney parent company Marvel Studios absorbed the X-Men and Fantastic Four into its fold in early 2019.
It’ll be a while before we see the first MCU film to cross the $1 billion mark, but Kevin Feige’s team is off to a great start this year. Despite a slow start to the 2024 summer movie season thanks to a weakened virus scare and a shortage of high-profile releases, it’s clear that the resurgence of the Merc with the Mouth is helping to revive interest in both Marvel and the theater.
On Thursday, Walt Disney reported earnings that topped Wall Street’s estimates and provided an upbeat forecast for the coming year. Shares of the company jumped 7.4% in premarket trading after the results and guidance were released. The company projected adjusted earnings-per-share percentage growth in the high single digits in fiscal 2025, even with roughly $8 billion in capital expenditures. That’s a pretty impressive goal for the entertainment giant, and the stock may finally be ready to make a run for the $120 per share level. That’s a long time in the making, but it’s an exciting time to be invested in Disney, especially if its streaming business can keep growing at this pace.