'Deadpool & Wolverine' dominates at the box office with $205 million opening

“Deadpool & Wolverine” starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman raked in a staggering $205 million domestically, according to Comscore.

The film debuted in theaters over the weekend and fans were clearly ready and undeterred by its R rating, the first for a movie in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. The buddy superhero comedy is now the highest R-rated film debut.

“This most unconventional of superhero movies has really struck a chord with audiences around the globe and the results prove once again that there is nothing like the communal movie theatre experience to create a pop culture phenomenon,” Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, told NBC News by email on Sunday.

This film also marks the first time both Deadpool and Wolverine appear in a Marvel Studios film. The last time both characters starred alongside each other was 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” under 20th Century Studios. Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, which brought X-Men back into the Marvel fold.

The film didn’t just do well domestically. Internationally, the film raked in $233.3 million.

NBC News caught up with fans throughout the film’s opening weekend. Andrew, who dressed up as Deadpool to see the film at AMC’s Lincoln Square theater in Manhattan on Thursday, said, “It overexceeds the hype.”

Vernon, who attended the film at AMC Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, said, “You could really appreciate the humor.”

The film stood out for fans of the X-Men franchise as Jackman had retired his Wolverine character following 2017’s “Logan.”

The duo had a bit of fun in 2022 with the announcement of Jackman’s return to his iconic role. In a video posted to Reynolds’ X account, music drowned out their cross-talk as they attempted to explain how Wolverine is still alive.

The film, which was directed by Shawn Levy with Reynolds as one of its writers, is the 34th film in the MCU. It’s the sequel to 2016’s “Deadpool” and 2018’s “Deadpool 2.”

CORRECTION (July 28, 2024, 6 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the box office performance of “Deadpool and Wolverine.” It had the highest-grossing debut for an R-rated film; it is not the highest-grossing R-rated film overall.