‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Dominates Summer Box Office, Debuts with $96 Million

One of the year's most eagerly awaited films, Deadpool & Wolverine, is setting the box office ablaze with an impressive $96 million in domestic sales on its opening night, according to Comscore data. The blockbuster, which pairs Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, is projected to surpass $200 million domestically by the end of the weekend, a feat that would break records for the franchise.

“This opening is a major industry benchmark for an R-rated film, something that was virtually unheard of until now,” said Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro. The first Deadpool movie set a record for the highest-grossing opening weekend for an R-rated film in 2016 with approximately $132 million. Its sequel, Deadpool 2, secured second place with $125 million in 2018. However, both figures are dwarfed by the anticipated $200 to $220 million that Deadpool & Wolverine could achieve, even when adjusted for inflation.

A record-breaking weekend for the film would place Deadpool & Wolverine alongside some of Marvel's highest-grossing films, such as 2012’s The Avengers ($207 million) and 2018’s Black Panther ($202 million). Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, noted, “This would rank among the top 10 openings of all time and marks the sixth-highest Friday ever reported at the box office.”

The film's promotional efforts, critical acclaim, and audience enthusiasm have driven it to hold 43% of the showtime market share in the U.S. Deadpool & Wolverine boasts a 97% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, the second highest for a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie behind Spider-Man: No Way Home, and has earned an ‘A’ CinemaScore, matching its predecessors.

The summer box office, which started sluggishly after a tepid spring, has seen a resurgence with Deadpool & Wolverine joining other over-performing blockbusters like Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, Inside Out 2, A Quiet Place: Day One, Despicable Me 4, and Twisters. Inside Out 2 recently set a record as the highest-grossing animated film of all time with $1.46 billion globally, surpassing 2019’s Frozen 2.

As of late June, domestic sales lagged more than 25% behind 2023’s performance. However, the success of recent releases has narrowed the year-over-year deficit to 16.9%, and the robust summer slate is positioning the industry to close the gap further.

“This weekend’s performance certainly makes us more optimistic for the box office prospects for 2024,” said Dergarabedian, estimating the full-year box office will land between $8.2 and $8.7 billion. “Given how weak the first quarter and April were, reaching over $8 billion is quite impressive.”

With Deadpool & Wolverine leading the charge, the box office is poised for an exciting summer, promising a dynamic end to the year’s cinematic landscape.