‘The greatest hit after Endgame’: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ just dropkicked ‘The Avengers’ as it set another unexpected Marvel record

Anyone with a functioning brain knew Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine would be a significant cinematic success, so it’s wildly impressive that it’s succeeded in breaking even those expectations.

As per The Numbers, the movie has grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the all-time leader for R-rated movies at the global box office. Its $623 million haul in the United States also makes it the all-time winner when it comes to R-rated films domestically.

Other tables it sits at the summit of include the biggest July domestic weekend ($411 million), the top R-rated domestic weekend ($211 million), the top R-rated domestic day ($96.2 million), and the top domestic July day ($96.2 million).

Even though the movie’s traction has now drastically and understandably decreased (it’s been in theaters for almost two months), it’s still smashing records, some of which have to be described as “unexpected.” But which barrier has it busted through lately?

What’s the latest Marvel record Deadpool & Wolverine has broken?

Deadpool & Wolverine’s domestic haul of $623 million makes it the fifth highest-grossing superhero movie of all time in the United States, surpassing 2012’s The Avengers. Despite The Avengers being 12 years old and inflation potentially inhibiting it in a direct battle with Deadpool & Wolverine, anyone who says they thought Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s film would touch it is telling little white lies. At one point, the MCU Phase One ensemble was the third highest-grossing movie of all time at the global box office, and it never had the restraints of an R-rating holding it back.

Moreover, Deadpool & Wolverine is also the second highest-grossing MCU movie since Avengers: Endgame (2019). To put that into perspective, that period of time comprises five years and 11 films; Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Black Widow (2021), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Eternals (2021), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), and The Marvels (2023). Only Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.9 billion worldwide) has outgrossed it.

It remains to be seen whether Deadpool & Wolverine has enough steam left to pass any other significant milestones. Its next somewhat realistic target should be overtaking Black Panther to become the sixth highest-grossing superhero movie globally. It’s currently around $34 million behind Black Panther’s haul of $1.334 billion, so it seems unlikely for now but not impossible. Never say never — Deadpool and Wolverine don’t give up easily, after all.