Emerging from a storied development cycle, few would have predicted that Tim Miller’s R-rated Deadpool movie would go on to become the box office success story of 2016, and fewer still could have foreseen a scenario in which Ryan Reynolds’ Merc With a Mouth ignited a demand for adult-oriented superhero movies (see: Logan).
And yet, that’s exactly how things panned out last year, when Reynolds’ gun-toting mercenary burst onto the scene with such gusto and confidence that 20th Century Fox is already in the process of cooking up a sequel. Granted, Atomic Blonde and John Wick co-director David Leitch has now replaced Tim Miller at the helm, but those pining for the Merc With a Mouth’s second coming can draw a big red circle around June 1st, 2018 on the calendar.
Yes, Deadpool 2 is on the horizon, but as Leitch’s sequel begins to coalesce, we now have confirmation that the Merc With a Mouth has been overtaken at the North American box office by a certain Diana Prince. Having entered its fifth week, Wonder Woman‘s domestic total now stands at $368.4 million, which is enough to cement the film’s status as the highest-grossing entry into the DC Extended Universe yet – in NA, at least.
It’s even surpassed Deadpool‘s domestic haul ($363 million), too, leading the Merc With a Mouth to extend his heartfelt congratulations via Twitter. What’s more, director Patty Jenkins then issued a response to Ryan Reynolds, which can be found below.
The Merc may be filthier, but her B.O. is stronger. Congrats #WonderWoman. pic.twitter.com/jhP1hRAKlY
— Deadpool Movie (@deadpoolmovie) July 11, 2017
You are the absolute greatest, Ryan Reynolds @VancityReynolds Thank you! We love you and your movie too. ❤️❤️❤️ #deadpool #deadpool2 ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/6Raj3VBEIR
— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) July 11, 2017
Despite a steady decline in theater showings, Wonder Woman continues to hold strong both domestically and overseas. Worldwide, its total cume has reached $745 million, which means Patty Jenkins’ standalone pic is within touching distance of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. And for all of the fandom generated by Diana Prince’s stellar origin story, it looks as though WW will fall short of Batman V Superman‘s worldwide total of $873 million.
As those box office numbers continue to trickle in, speculation is rife that a Wonder Woman sequel is beginning to take shape at Warner Bros. A Cold War setting has reportedly been floated by the studio, which would seemingly open up an avenue for Chris Pine to return as Steve Trevor. Chalk that up as conjecture for now, though. On the other hand, Deadpool 2 is locked in for June 1st, 2018.
