By Vic Medina
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Warning: This article includes spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Marvel Jesus has topped Cinematic Jesus at the North American box office. After pulling in $97 million in only its second weekend, Marvel Studios' has now earned $395.6 million domestically and become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time in North America, passing the Biblical epic The Passion of the Christ. It's an impressive feat, particularly considering that Mel Gibson's film about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus has held the box office record for exactly 20 years.
Reynolds gave a completely expected comical reply when asked by Collider if he ever thought he would beat Jesus at the box office. He said:
"Wow, well thank you for putting us in a no-win cultural situation that will result in the end of our careers. Off to a great start, Frosty, love it. Isn't there a line in Deadpool 2 where I say we beat Passion of the Christ overseas where there's no such thing as religion? They didn't get me then, they won't get me now."
The long-awaited MCU team-up of two of Marvel's most popular actors, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, has now grossed over $824 million worldwide, which places it at #3 all-time among R-rated films. At its current pace, it stands a strong chance at passing the two films in front of it: Oppenheimer (#2, $975.3 million) and Joker (#1, $1.1 billion).
3.5/5
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
- Release Date
- July 26, 2024
- Director
- Shawn Levy
- Cast
- Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Morena Baccarin , Jennifer Garner , Matthew Macfadyen , Brianna Hildebrand , Rob Delaney
- Main Genre
- Action
- Franchise
- Marvel
The film opened in 4,230 theaters on July 26, and had an impressive $211.4 opening weekend, setting the records for the biggest opening weekend for an R-rated movie, and also claiming record for the highest-grossing summer movie opening weekend of all time. After only 10 days of release, it stands at #48 on the list of highest-grossing films of all time domestically (all numbers are via Box Office Mojo and not adjusted for inflation).
The numbers achieved by Deadpool & Wolverine in just ten days are even more impressive when compared to the entire theatrical run of The Passion of the Christ, which shocked Hollywood in 2004 with an unprecedented box office showing for an independent, R-rated film. Directed by Oscar winner Mel Gibson (Braveheart) and starring Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest) as Jesus, Passion opened in February 2004 in 3,400 theaters with an $84 million opening weekend. The film proved to have legs, bringing in moviegoers well into the summer before finishing with $370 million in domestic ticket sales and $611 million worldwide. It was a box office performance for an R-rated film that was unmatched until this summer.
Related
Fans of the superhero genre enjoy multiverse storylines. However, not every movie with the alternate timeline concept is created equally.
1
The Deadpool & Wolverine Cast Celebrate the Film's Success
The actors have celebrated the film's success in different ways. Jackman and Reynolds have been active on social media in the ten days since its release. After a second strong weekend at the box office, Reynolds took to Instagram to thank the fans, posting a sentimental message that took stock of the last decade of films. "10 years ago, we would have gleefully taken these BONKERS 2nd weekend numbers as our opening weekend," he said in the post. "The way Deadpool & Wolverine has captured the moment is hard to process. Feels a bit like it’s happening to someone else. Either way, making these movies has been more fun than anyone has a right to have."
Jackman has posted numerous times how grateful he is to be back playing Wolverine. After the film's big opening weekend, he recreated a classic meme based on the 1990s X-Men cartoon, inserting himself into it for an iconic image.
Jennifer Garner celebrated her cameo by sharing a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram of her training regimen to get back in shape to play Elektra after nearly 20 years. Chris Evans finally addressed his cameo as Fantastic Four member Johnny Storm in the film, posting some behind-the-scenes photos to Instagram. "Playing Johnny again was a dream come true and he'll always have a special place in my heart," he wrote.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now playing in theaters worldwide.
