The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the first franchise ever to surpass $30 billion in global box office revenue, thanks to the opening success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which earned $96 million on its North American debut.
Marvel Chief Kevin Feige announced this milestone during a presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, according to Variety.
The film also set records for the biggest-ever opening for an R-rated release and the sixth-largest opening of all time.
With 34 titles released over 15 years, the MCU has solidified its place as one of the biggest film franchises in history, featuring blockbusters like 2008’s “Iron Man,” “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.799 billion), and “Infinity War” ($2.05 billion). The two “Avengers” films are the highest-grossing movies ever.
Other major franchises include Sony’s “Spider-Man,” which has earned $10.6 billion from 10 films, “Star Wars” with $10.3 billion from 11 films, “Harry Potter” with $9.6 billion from 11 films, and “James Bond” with $7.8 billion from 25 films.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” the first R-rated Marvel film produced by Disney, stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. The movie debuted internationally on Wednesday and has already garnered $64.8 million outside the United States and Canada, according to Disney.
This success marks a rebound for Disney following some lackluster performances in 2023, such as “The Marvels” and “Haunted Mansion.”
