There's another blockbuster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Deadpool & Wolverine smashed box office expectations this weekend, taking $211 million in North America alone and scooping several records along the way. Indeed, the latest Marvel movie posted the 8th biggest opening weekend of all time, dethroned Despicable Me 4 to become the top debut of 2024 so far, and saw the highest-grossing first weekend for an R-rated movie in history.

As anyone who’s kept a vague eye on the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the last few years could likely guess, the plot synopsis of this latest movie might be a little too meta and self-referential to neatly unpack here… but it’s fair to say that Marvel’s decision to actively engage with its sprawling legacy in the latest Deadpool installment has seriously paid off, with the film taking almost $440 million worldwide in its first 3 days. 

For the fans

While it may not always curry favor with movie buffs and critics, the Disney-owned studio’s conscious effort to put not only the Deadpool threequel, but many of its other movies and shows in direct conversation with earlier content via in-jokes, easter eggs, and cameos makes a lot of commercial sense — especially given its growing lead as the biggest franchise of all time. 

Since Iron Man first hit silver screens in 2008, the MCU has morphed into a blockbuster beast, pumping out 34 films in 16 years that have accrued a total global box office gross of more than $30 billion, as of this weekend. Even at the domestic box office, the latest Deadpool offering saw the franchise soar even further ahead of iconic, decades-spanning movie series like Star Wars and James Bond.