“Deadpool & Wolverine” is on track for a massive $165 million debut

Marvel

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is all set to storm the summer box office.

The Disney and Marvel sequel, which pairs Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth with Hugh Jackman’s grumpy mutant, is on track to open between $160 million and $165 million when it’s released in three weeks. Of course, these numbers come with some caveats (and many advantages). It’s worth noting that this follow-up hits before the bulk of the studio’s marketing materials flood moviegoers, so interest in the film could continue to grow. It’s also hard to accurately project ticket sales so far in advance of a movie’s debut, but these initial numbers show just how intensely fanboys and fangirls anticipate this buddy act.

If the film opens at that level, it will mark the best opening of 2024, as well as the best reverie ever for an R-rated film. It also comes after Marvel, once the most trusted brand in movies, has suffered a series of of commercial disappointments like “The Eternals,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and “The Marvels.” If “Deadpool & Wolverine” can fill theaters, it should ease doubts about the viability of the MCU as well as the superhero genre. Plus, it’s a career-defining moment for Reynolds, who was the creative force behind the character. The first Deadpool film opened to $132.4 million domestically in 2016, and its 2018 sequel debuted to $125.5 million.

“Deadpool and Wolverine” was co-written, produced and directed by Shawn Levy. This is the first time a Deadpool and Wolverine movie has been released as part of the MCU. These Marvel characters were licensed to 20th Century Fox, but following the sale of the entertainment company to Disney in 2019, they are integrated into the comic book giant’s official film series.

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