Now that the studio has suddenly dominated the box office in 2024, Disney is looking to further tighten its grip.
The Evolution of Wolverine, told by Ryan Reynolds
The Deadpool & Wolverine film, which hits theaters on Friday, is expected to gross at least $160-170 million in its opening weekend in the United States, or as much as $200 million if word of mouth spreads quickly enough.
Such an opening would not only surpass the $155 million June premiere of Pixar's "Inside Out 2," which just overtook "Frozen 2" as Disney's highest-grossing animated film to date with nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, but would also set a record for R-rated openings overall.
That would mark the second milestone for a "Deadpool" film. Such a big turnout for "Deadpool & Wolverine" could also dispel doubts about the viability of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney's over-reliance on franchise fare in recent years after multiple high-budget tentpoles underperformed in 2023.