‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Beats ‘Joker’ as Highest-Grossing R-Rated Film

Deadpool is living up to his self-appointed moniker as Marvel Jesus.

Disney’s comic book sequel “Deadpool & Wolverine” has generated $1.085.6 billion at the global box office, overtaking 2019’s “Joker” ($1.078 billion) as the highest grossing R-rated movie in history. Domestically, the film has earned $516.8 million. “Deadpool & Wolverine’s” international haul stands at $568.8 million.

Marvel’s save-the-universe adventure landed in theaters on July 26, collecting a mighty $211 million in its domestic debut to rank as the sixth-biggest opening weekend of all time. Since then, “Deadpool & Wolverine” has remained a massive draw with $516 million in North America and $568 million internationally. After two weekends of release, the third “Deadpool” movie surpassed the entire theatrical runs of its predecessors — 2016’s “Deadpool” with $783 million and 2018’s “Deadpool 2” with $786 million. It’s now the second blockbuster of 2024 (following Disney’s Pixar smash “Inside Out 2” with $1.558 billion) and second R-rated movie ever to join the coveted billion-dollar club.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige issued a statement about “Deadpool & Wolverine” setting a new R-rated box office record, writing: “Thanks for making Marvel Studios’ first R-rated movie the biggest of all time. It’s fantastic to see that audiences are loving this movie as much as we all loved making it. All those conversations were worth it!”

“Deadpool & Wolverine,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as their antihero alter egos, is notable because the film ushers the comic book characters that were previously licensed to 20th Century Fox into Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ticket sales have been stratospheric because Reynolds and director Shawn Levy brought Jackman’s gruff mutant Logan out of retirement and assembled a who’s who of Fox-era heroes, including Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Chris Evans as Human Torch from “Fantastic Four,” Wesley Snipes as Blade, to accompany Deadpool and Wolverine on a timeline-salvaging mission. So, die-hard fans opted to see the movie early and often to avoid plot twists, major cameos and other spoilers.