Summary

Iron Man’s status as one of theMarvel Cinematic Universe’s most profitable leading heroes has gone down after the incredible success ofDeadpool & Wolverine. The new film, which features countlessDeadpool easter eggs, has received nearly universal acclaim and has done well at the bos office,grossing over $1 billion after only its third weekend in theaters. Following the excellent performances ofDeadpoolandDeadpool 2, it has become clear that Deadpool is now one of Marvel’s most profitable heroes. This is surely an unexpected development following the first film only being made due to the success of leaked footage.

While theending ofDeadpool & Wolverinedoes set up additional stories, it is unclear what the path forward is for the film’s lead characters. Amidst a sea ofDeadpool & Wolverinecameos,the titular mutants have established themselves as leads that the public wishes to see more of.It seems unlikely that Hugh Jackman may wish to return to the role of Wolverine, having already been pulled from retirement followingLoganfor one more film. Still, with the amount of money thatDeadpool & Wolverinehas made, it is sure that Disney wishes to have both Jackman and Ryan Reynolds return in some capacity.

Ryan Reynolds As Deadpool And Hugh Jackman As Wolverine Close Together With X-Men 2000 In The Background

Deadpool & Wolverine Post-Credits Scenes Explained

Deadpool & Wolverine has two credits scenes, so we break down what they both mean for the future and historic legacy of Marvel movies.

Deadpool Just Hit Marvel’s Box Office Podium

The Hero Is Only Behind Thor In Titular Box Office Gross

Deadpool & Wolverineas a film has allowed both titular heroes to reach the third and fourth spot in the total box office gross for each Marvel character, replacing Iron Man. Notably,for Deadpool, this was done with only three movies, resulting in an average of $865 million gross per film for the hero.This is higher than Thor’s $676 million per film and is an especially incredible achievement for an R-rated franchise. While Spider-Man has still made more money overall as one of Marvel’s most popular characters, future films may allow Deadpool to overtake this spot.

$3,920,121,775

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) surrounded by falling dollar bills

$2,705,339,993

$2,597,841,443

Cassandra Nova capturing Deadpool and Wolverine in Phase 5

$2,435,016,309

$2,421,720,208

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine prepares to fight Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in front of the Deadpool Corps

$2,236,871,251

$2,188,142,628

Deadpool and Wolverine Poster Showing Wade Wilson’s Swords Showing Hugh Jackman’s Reflection

$1,628,568,160

$1,605,638,412

$1,329,282,344

$1,086,779,963

Hulk

$510,605,538

It is astonishing how much the character of Deadpool has grown in esteem with the general public. The character has quickly risen from an obscure, violent, fan-favorite character for comic readers into one of Marvel’s most popular movie characters ever.Created in 1990 by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, Deadpool is notably much newer than the other heroes on this list.This suggests that there is still a voracious appetite for new and interesting heroes, not just legacy ones, that reflect on comic book history through a modern lens.

After Deadpool & Wolverine, What Will Be The Next Marvel Movie To Hit $1 Billion?

Deadpool & Wolverine has broken Marvel’s disappointing box office streak by passing $1 billion, but which upcoming MCU film will be the next to do so?

Deadpool & Wolverine’s Box Office Milestone Topples Iron Man

The Iron Man Trilogy Has Been Replaced By The Deadpool Trilogy

Iron Man has been the heart and soul of the MCU, but recent box office successes do clearly indicate that the franchise can move beyond him to even greater success. While theMCU has cast Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, it is clear that audiences are just as willing to invest in other performers and their characters.Iron Man as a character grossed an average of $807 million in each of his three films, which is an incredible achievement. However, its total record has since been broken byDeadpool & Wolverine.

Notably, Iron Man has still been an incredibly important character to the universe beyond his own trilogy. His presence contributed to the box office gross of so many other Marvel films.Iron Man’s appearance surely increased the box office ofCaptain America: Civil WarandSpider-Man: Homecoming, and in many ways, he was the lead character in each of theAvengersmovies. Still, as Deadpool is integrated more fully into the MCU, it will be interesting to see if Ryan Reynolds' character moves forward similarly.

10 Reasons Deadpool & Wolverine Broke The Billion Dollar Milestone

Deadpool & Wolverine managed to cross the billion dollar threshold, and it was only able to do that because of the incredible work that preceded it.

How Much Will Deadpool & Wolverine End On At The Box Office?

Deadpool & Wolverine Will Soon Be The Highest-Grossing R-rated Movie Ever

Deadpool & Wolverinewill be one of the highest-grossing movies of 2024 and will certainly become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. The record is currently held byJoker, which made $1.078 billion, but this will be passed very soon. Following this, there is only the question of how highDeadpool & Wolverinecan go.Marvel films typically gross a multiplier of between 2.5-3.5 of their opening weekend gross, which would give the film a range of between $1.095 billion and $1.534 billion.The film’s performance seems to be heading toward the higher end of that figure.

A billion-dollar film is an incredible achievement, and with more time still in theaters,there is reason to expectDeadpool & Wolverineto end with a total of around $1.4 billion.This significantly dwarfsJoker’s performance and is a truly incredible number for Disney, especially followingMarvel’s biggest bomb everless than a year ago. The studio is clearly in an interesting place, and it will be curious to see the path that they take forward and how they reflect onDeadpool & Wolverine’s success in their future output.

Why Deadpool & Wolverine’s Box Office Isn’t The Right Test For The MCU’s Current Success

Deadpool & Wolverine is slicing up the box office, but its success isn’t the best test to see if audiences are fully invested in the MCU.

Deadpool & Wolverinehas clearly put Marvel back in the good graces of audiences worldwide, although it remains to be seen if this will have any effect on the rest of the MCU. The overall franchise has not been as warmly received in recent years, and the future has been in doubt following a series of significant shakeups. Still,Deadpool & Wolverine’s box office clearly indicates that these characters are as popular as any iconic Marvel heroes.There is certainly a path forward for the MCU, andDeadpool & Wolverinemay be the blueprint to follow.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Cast

A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.