Deadpool 3 is generating a lot of excitement and anticipation among fans. The film is set to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), marking the first time Deadpool will be featured in the MCU since Marvel officially reacquired the film rights to the character. Ryan Reynolds is returning as the titular character Wade Wilson/Deadpool and Hugh Jackman is confirmed to reprise his role as Wolverine.
By extension, the box office reception of Deadpool 3 is also expected to combine the previous successes of the two franchises. Jackman’s Wolverine, who hails from the X-Men franchise, had his last standalone film, Logan, that raked in about $620 million at the worldwide box office. Similarly, the previous two installments of Deadpool have made around $780 million each at the worldwide box office. Since both Deadpool (Merc With a Mouth) and Wolverine are set to reprise their characters in the upcoming installment of Deadpool, slated for a July 26, 2024 release date, the film’s success is expected to be massive. Could it be the next big MCU film after Avengers: Endgame? Let’s find out.
MCU’s Box Office Performance Plummetted After Avengers: Endgame
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has experienced a notable shift in its box office performance post-Avengers: Endgame (which made around $2.8 billion worldwide. This trend is evident when comparing the worldwide box office earnings of MCU films released after Endgame. For instance, the most recent MCU installment, The Marvels (2023), which had a higher production budget of $274.8 million, earned significantly less, with a total of just $199.7 million worldwide.
Similarly, Eternals (2021), despite a substantial $200 million budget, concluded with a worldwide gross of $401.7 million, a modest figure compared to the colossal earnings of earlier MCU blockbusters. On the other hand, Black Widow (2021), with a $200 million budget, gathered $379.8 million globally, further reflecting this downward trend. However, there have been some titles that have tried to break this post-Endgame curse.
Spider-Man: No Way Home for Phase 4 and Guardians of the Galaxy Broke Through for Phase 5
Spiderman: Far From Home, which was released right after Avengers: Endgame and was also a part of Phase 3, performed moderately in comparison to it with around $1.2 billion lifetime haul. Spider-Man: No Way Home, on the other hand, which came in Phase 4 with a production budget of $200 million, amassed a staggering $1.9 billion globally, standing out as the highest-grossing film in the post-Endgame era. Other entries that came somewhat close to the billion-dollar mark in Phase 4 were Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was released in 2023 as part of phase 5, raked in $845.6 million to become the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2023.
Deadpool 3 Is the Next Big Installment for the MCU in Phase 5
Deadpool 3 is poised to be a significant and next big addition to Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It could potentially mark a new era in the franchise’s box office performance. While the timeline of Deadpool 3 technically falls somewhere before the times of Logan, the multi-verse narrative can potentially give rise to cooler and more intricate plots as we eventually move toward Phase 6, which will probably mark the end of MCU as we know it.
Now will Deadpool 3 be able to come close to the success achieved by Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame? We don’t yet know. What we do know for a fact is that fans have been waiting for Deadpool 3 for almost five years now. Wolverine was last seen a long time back too. With both these actors returning to their critically acclaimed characters after a long time and their large collective fanbase waiting for their film to hit theaters, hopes are high!
So basically — Deadpool 3 combines the star power and fan appeal of Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s iconic Wolverine. Plus, the film is expected to have multiple cameos, as teased by Shawn Levy himself. Even John Cena, who apparently has no connection with Deadpool, X-Man, or MCU, has posted a picture of Deadpool and Wolverine on the sets of Deadpool 3 on his Instagram, for no apparent reason, and with no caption. While this could be a signature Deadpool-satire marketing tactic, we know that Deadpool has previously had cameos from actors like Brad Pitt so more unexpected cameos certainly won’t be a surprise. The word of different cameos gets out quickly and statement-making cameos often help market a film well.