‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Packs Record Punch at Box Office With $205 Million Debut

Deadpool & Wolverine (Credit: Marvel Studios)

It’s Deadpool & Wolverine to the rescue of the 2024 box office.

The Marvel superhero saga brought legions of fans to theaters and opened in first place, with a projected $205 million domestic debut, box office tracking company Comscore reported Sunday.

The summer blockbuster is also the #1 movie in the world, after ringing up a global total of $438.3 million.

Domestically, the film starring Ryan Reynolds (as Wade Wilson/Deadpool) and Hugh Jackman (as Logan/Wolverine) played in 4,210 locations across the U.S. and Canada, for a massive per theater average of $48,694.

RelatedLeslie Uggams Jokes She’s ‘Fabulous’ in Marvel’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

The humor-filled storyline follows Wade Wilson as he recruits a variant of Wolverine to save his universe from extinction.

Additional cast members include Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Dafne Keen, Jon Favreau, Morena Baccarin, and Leslie Uggams, plus several stars from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This is the third installment of the franchise after Deadpool, which opened with $132.4 million domestically in February 2016. Deadpool 2 debuted with $125.5 million in May 2018.

Deadpool & Wolverine set a string of new records — it’s  the best opening of 2024; the biggest debut ever for an R-rated film after Deadpool; and the highest July opening weekend of all-time after The Lion King ($191.8 million), Comscore noted.

Critics gave the film a thumbs up, with a 79 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, out of 300 reviews.

“This proves Marvel isn’t dead in the water,” film reviewer Linda Cook of WHBF-TV in Illinois noted .

Still, Peter Travers of ABC wrote: “It’s too slick a Marvel package, with surprisingly meh special effects and an energy that’s more desperation than inspiration. But stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are willing to bust a gut to make you laugh. So there’s that.”

The film is directed by Shawn Levy, who co-wrote the script with Reynolds and several others.

On social media Sunday, Marvel Studios bragged (as it should): “Crushed it. #DeadpoolAndWolverine” alongside a graphic saying “#1 movie in the world.”

Elsewhere this weekend in theaters, last week’s leader Twisters slipped to second place after taking in another $35.3 million, according to Comscore.

Despicable Me 4 was third with $14.2 million in its fourth weekend of release.

Inside out 2 was fourth with $8.3 million in its seventh weekend in theaters. Indie horror film Longlegs rounded out the top five with $6.7 million in its third weekend of release.

Year to date, the box office is down 17 percent versus this time in 2023.

Check out the full box office chart below from Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian.


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About Anita Bennett

Anita Bennett is the editor and founder of Urban Hollywood 411. She can be reached on Twitter @tvanita.