'Deadpool & Wolverine' Prepares for the Most Anticipated Premiere of an R-Rated Movie

The “mercenary with a mouth” returns to the big screen this weekend and he's doing more than giving it an R rating. From Disney Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Deadpool & Wolverine,” the third standalone film starring Ryan Reynolds as the regenerating degenerate, is expected to gross $160 million to $180 million at the domestic box office in its debut.

According to Fandango, the film is already the top pre-sale ticket seller of 2024 and is projected to break numerous records during its opening weekend. Those marks include the highest domestic opening of 2024 and the biggest debut ever for an R-rated film.

Disney and Pixar's “Inside Out 2” is currently the year's highest opening with $154.2 million and the first “Deadpool” film's $132.4 million debut is the highest for any R-rated movie, according to Comscore data.

“I have no doubt that this movie will open as the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time,” said Mike Bowers, president and CEO of Harkins Theatres, an Arizona-based movie theater chain. “And it's already one of the highest-grossing advance-selling movies in history for us.”

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is the 34th film to be released under the MCU banner and the first to earn an R rating from the Motion Picture Association. The previous two Deadpool films, both R-rated, were produced and released through 20th Century Fox. Disney acquired the company in 2019, bringing the X-Men and Fantastic Four back into Marvel's broader catalog.

Like previous MCU installments, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is benefiting from fan fervor. Audiences are eager to see the film in its opening weekend to avoid spoilers. Disney has kept much of the film’s content under wraps and has provided limited press screenings ahead of its debut.

Bowers hopes audiences will continue to come back for more in the weeks following the film's release.

“This is a movie where there's so much going on, so many jokes and funny sequences that no one will be able to eat just one, you know, they'll come back,” he said.

Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex, Canada's largest theater chain, echoed Bower's sentiments. Jacob said “Deadpool & Wolverine” is full of surprises and audiences will be coming back to try to see them all.

He also noted that many of those moviegoers are buying tickets to premium screenings, such as IMAX, Dolby and ScreenX, which have higher price tags.

Marvel has also collaborated with theaters to sell licensed merchandise like popcorn buckets and collectible beverage containers that theater operators hope will sell out quickly. Concessions have always been the biggest source of revenue for theaters, and having limited-edition items can further boost food and beverage sales.

Of course, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is also a major release for the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney has “eased off the gas” and planned fewer releases for the series that drove the global box office for more than a decade, said Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory. He said Disney is trying to right the ship after a series of theatrical missteps and poor box office results, as well as a flood of streaming content that crowded the market and overwhelmed even the MCU’s biggest fans.

“Ultimately, as much as this is a Marvel movie, it can equally be viewed as a mid-summer action comedy starring personalities and brands that die-hard fans and casual viewers alike love,” Robbins said. “Reynolds and Jackman are a grand slam duo given their respective presences in pop culture and their friendly back-and-forth on social media and in interviews. There’s also genuine curiosity about how the MCU’s first R-rated film will play out and how it will maintain the qualities that made the first two Deadpool films and the first two Marvel movies so popular.” [Jackman’s 2017 Wolverine film] “'Logan' is very popular.”