TheDeadpoolmovie trilogy contains some of the most beloved superhero films in recent years, with the character’s recent entry to theMarvel Cinematic Universeproving what an incredible box office draw the hero is. After three films, Deadpool has moved over tothe MCU timelineand made a staggering amount of money along the way, which is especially mind-blowing when considering the costs of each film. Deadpool has genuinely cemented himself as a box office juggernaut, and any possible Deadpool sequels seem primed to make an incredible amount of money.
Budgets for superhero movies have gotten out of hand in recent years, withThe Marvels' box office failurepresenting a critical opportunity for reflection on this topic for the franchise. However,not every superhero movie needs to cost over $200 million, and the 2016 release of the firstDeadpoolis a great reminder of this.With lower budgets, films are able to take greater risks, which can result in better films. Still, the budgets for the first twoDeadpoolfilms are even lower than I would have expected.
Deadpool’s Budget Vs Its Overall Box Office Is Genuinely Mindboggling
Each Deadpool Film Has Been Incredibly Popular
In total,the Deadpool trilogy has cost a reported $368 million in production budgets, and has made a worldwide gross of $2.9 billion, as perThe Numbers. Overall, the franchise has then made more than 7.5x its production cost in worldwide grosses. I find this kind of multiplier incredible; only franchises like Spider-Man come close to performing at this level in theMCU box officeconsistently. The most recentDeadpoolfilm has even gone on to become the highest-grossing R-rated film in history, with a global total of $1.3 billion.
$200,000,000
$211,435,291
$636,745,858
$1,338,071,348
$110,000,000
$125,507,153
$324,591,735
$786,362,370
$58,000,000
$132,434,639
$363,070,709
$781,947,691
What is incredible is that Deadpool does not need an enormous budget to succeed. Afterthe first film was made for $58 million and grossed $781 million at the box office,it was proven beyond a doubt that there was a viable franchise there that could be made for cheap. I’m glad, however, that they spent money onDeadpool & Wolverine, making it one of the bigger and better Marvel blockbusters.
Why Deadpool’s Overall Budget Vs Box Office Results Are So Strong
The Character Fits A Popular Niche
What makesDeadpool’s incredible box office successso shocking is that the films were almost never made at all. Following poor reception to his character inX-Men Origins: Wolverine,plans for a Deadpool spinoff were shelved until test footage leaked online, and the response to this footage suggested enormous interest.Combining the superhero genre with great humor and a postmodern style that was prominent in the 2010s with shows likeCommunityand movies like21 Jump StreetandThis is the Endseems in retrospect like a guaranteed success.
I do remember that none of this success was nearly so obvious at the time, which explains why the budget ofDeadpoolwas only $58 million. However,seeing the growth of the franchise, and the incredible popularity that the character was able to garner, audiences proved that they wanted more. With clear passion from series star Ryan Reynolds for the character - that extended even into the absurd marketing andDeadpoolpopcorn buckets- the series became one of the most notable franchises of recent years.
The Deadpool Trilogy’s Budget Vs Box Office Results Could Make Deadpool 4 More Likely
More Of Deadpool In The MCU Is Certainly Wanted By The Studio
With these box office results,making a fourthDeadpoolfilm would be an obvious choice for Disney.The character has proven himself to be an incredible box office draw and, even with arguments about superhero fatigue being made, the hero has recently proven himself immune to it withDeadpool & Wolverine.A sequel featuring both Deadpool and Wolverine could be a huge success, but so could virtually any other place where they might want to insert the character into the MCU.
Unfortunately for Disney,everything known aboutDeadpool 4is dependent on Ryan Reynolds, who has already given so much time, life, and energy to the role.Reynolds doesn’t seem especially eager to jump right back into the Deadpool role, especially after the difficulties and delays in makingDeadpool & Wolverine.However, it seems likely Disney will eventually offer Reynolds whatever it takes to get another Deadpool film made, as it would almost certainly be a success. They may also eventually recast the role, although I believe this would be riskier.
Superhero films are set to be a part of the film landscape for many years to come, but to preserve their longevity, more focus should be given to budgets.The cost and result for the Deadpool franchise is truly incredible, and speaks to the popularity of and love for the character. Whatever Marvel decides to do in the near future, furtherDeadpoolinstallments, no matter the cost, seem all but assured to do well for them. Hopefully, another one is made sooner rather than later.
Deadpool
The merc with the mouth first appeared in an issue ofNew Mutantsin 1990, and since then has gone on to get his own series and a massive cult following. With his incredible powers of healing and regeneration, Deadpool was initially depicted as an X-Men villain but went on to become an anti-hero. After getting his own movie series starting in 2016, the third Deadpool movie finally brings the wisecracking, fourth-wall-breaking character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
