Marvel Studios have been a bit hit and miss since the Goliath crossover that was Avengers Endgame.
The last MCU movie to release in cinemas was The Marvels, a flop that took the franchise’s lowest box office haul ever at just over $206 million.
After a lacklustre 2023, Disney decided to push back several upcoming movies to 2025 with only Deadpool and Wolverine releasing in 2024.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s comic book romp has already topped Dune Part Two as the top ticket pre-seller of the year in the States.
Following glowing first reactions at last night’s world premiere in New York, the blockbuster is now set to break box office records.
According to Deadline, Deadpool and Wolverine is set to be the biggest R-rated (15 in the UK) opening of all time.
The estimated haul of $340-360 million worldwide this weekend would easily surpass Joker’s $147 million.
Considering the Joaquin Phoenix movie is the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with $1.78 million worldwide, it suggests that the MCU movie will most likely surpass its record there too. So what’s driving the excitement?
The first two Deadpool movies were both extremely successful adult action comedies, currently sitting in third and fourth place behind Oppenheimer and Joker as the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time.
Secondly, it’s the nostalgia factor of resurrecting Jackman’s Wolverine (at last in his comic book accurate yellow suit) and finally teaming him up with Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth, something the latter has been aiming for over the last few years.
Then there’s the rumours of further Fox X-Men cameos from across the Marvel multiverse driving anticipation too, much like the Sony Spider-Man stars and villains returning for box office smash Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Deadpool and Wolverine hits UK cinemas on July 25, 2024.