Proving that 2016's Deadpool was no fluke and there really is audience demand for a foul-mouthed superhero who makes sex jokes and breaks the fourth wall, Deadpool 2 debuted this past weekend to a stellar box office. Finally dethroning Avengers: Infinity War from the top spot at the box office, Deadpool 2 raked in $125 million domestically over the weekend. But it isn't only North American audiences who like their superheroes with a bit of an edge to them. Deadpool 2 is doing really well in foreign markets too, adding to that domestic number for a $301 million total worldwide haul in its debut frame.
For those who are doing the math at home, that breaks down to about a $176 million opening bow in overseas markets this weekend for Deadpool 2. This launch actually surpassed the first Deadpool overseas becoming the biggest international launch for an R-rated film in history. So while Deadpool 2 fell short of expectations here and couldn't quite surpass the first film's domestic debut, it picked up the slack in other markets. This worldwide total has propelled Deadpool 2 past the entire runs of other blockbusters that aimed to make a splash this year like Tomb Raider and Pacific Rim: Uprising. Deadpool 2 also cut down some records here at home, to earn the best Thursday night preview screening and opening day numbers ever for an R-rated film.
As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Deadpool 2's success is par for the course in 2018, which is looking to become a banner year for superhero movies, once again proving that this bubble is nowhere near popping. There are some crazy statistics here too; Deadpool 2 just released and along with Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther, these three account for 31% of all domestic box office revenue this year. Almost a third of all box office dollars come from these three superhero titles -- that's insane. Among the top 10 Hollywood titles worldwide, these three account for over half of the revenue at 57 percent. While other blockbusters fail to hit, comic book movies are proving tried and true and Deadpool 2 represents something unique in the genre.
Deadpool 2 will undoubtedly continue to rake in the dollars for weeks to come, but its reign at the top of the box office will be short-lived. After a brief interregnum, Disney will almost certainly take back the crown this weekend as Solo: A Star Wars Story blasts into theaters where it's estimated it could earn $170 million.
Deadpool 2 is in theaters now. After you've seen it, come back and let us know what you thought and read some wild speculation and breakdowns of the end-credits scenes. To see what other movies, superhero and otherwise, will be debuting this year, check out our release guide, and for all the latest box office breakdowns stay tuned to CinemaBlend.
