‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Surpasses $1 Billion at Worldwide Box Office

“The Merc with a Talk” is breaking even more box office records.

On the weekend, Disney and Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” became only the second R-rated film to surpass $1 billion at the global box office. And it’s on track to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.

Currently, that record is held by from Warner Bros. “Joker,” which took in $1.078 billion during its 2019 theatrical run, according to Comscore data. “Deadpool & Wolverine” has taken in $1.029 billion, according to Sunday’s estimated numbers.

“This film has laid the foundation for the perfect box office beast, from an innovative marketing strategy that included a viral popcorn bucket, to a perfect release date, Ryan Reynolds’ tireless promotion of the film, and most importantly, a great film that has been met with rave reviews from critics and fans alike, all led to this moment just three weeks after the film’s incredible release in theaters around the world,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Another great moment for Disney after what has been a slow post-pandemic period for the studio.”

This third indie film starring Ryan Reynolds as the regenerating degenerate has already grossed the highest of any film released in 2024 and holds the record for the biggest opening ever for a R-rated film.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is the first R-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe film, as the previous two Deadpool films were produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Disney acquired that studio in 2019.

It is also the second Disney film to surpass $1 billion at the global box office this year. Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has generated more than $1.5 billion since its release in June. Box office analysts predict that “Deadpool & Wolverine” will not be the company’s last this year. “Moana 2” is expected to hit theaters around Thanksgiving, and forecasts suggest it could also hit the $1 billion mark.

These massive box office successes come after a string of failures from Disney’s traditionally bulletproof franchises, including the lowest-grossing Marvel film ever. As Disney tries to rebuild its reputation and recapture its box office magic, it’s leaning heavily on existing, beloved franchises. At the company’s biannual D23 Expo, it shared details on upcoming titles from all of its studios.

These include major animated sequels like “Toy Story 5,” “Zootopia 2,” “Frozen III,” and “The Incredibles 3,” as well as a slew of new Marvel titles like “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts*,” “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “Blade,” “Avengers: Doomsday” (previously titled “Avengers: Kang Dynasty”), and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” Footage was also shown from “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” the first Star Wars film to hit the big screen since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.”

It’s no surprise that Disney is going back to the well with these films. The Toy Story franchise has generated $3.2 billion at the global box office, the two Frozen films have surpassed $2.7 billion worldwide, the two Incredibles films have combined for $1.8 billion globally, and “Zootopia” hit $1 billion worldwide during its 2016 run.

As for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, having grossed over $30 billion at the global box office since 2008. And Star Wars has a solid reputation as well, having generated over $10 billion in ticket sales since A New Hope hit theaters in 1977.

“The billion-dollar box office club may not be the sole metric by which theatrical success is defined, but it is nonetheless emblematic of a film’s ability to capture the global zeitgeist,” said Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory, a theatrical and box office analytics and consulting firm. “‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ has done so in a resounding way, making Disney and Marvel’s return to the top ten figures worth celebrating.”