Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine have teamed up for a box office triumph in the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
The film has put Marvel back on top after a recent run of sequels with diminishing returns and outright flops.
With a massive $96 million Friday total, including $38.5 million from Thursday previews, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is on track for an opening weekend in the range of $195 million to $205 million. This has shattered the previous record held by “Deadpool” itself, which scored a $132.4 million domestic opening in 2016. The team-up movie has also surpassed the $154.2 million opening weekend for “Inside Out 2,” securing the biggest opening weekend of 2024.
The success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” can be attributed to its packed roster of cameos and comebacks, which have helped propel other recent Marvel hits like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” However, the film serves as a testament to the affection people have for the X-Men movie universe rather than a sign that the MCU as a franchise is back on top. It remains to be seen how future releases like “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts” will fare at the box office.
While these box office results are undoubtedly a huge win for Deadpool, Marvel Studios must be cautious about relying too heavily on cameos and comebacks. Overusing this strategy could make surprise guest stars feel less special and eventually exhaust the pool of characters that fans are truly excited to see again.
