A ton of eyeballs were focused on “Deadpool & Wolverine” this past weekend. Nielsen says 123.7 million viewers watched Super Bowl LVII, making it the most-watched telecast of all time (via Variety). Seeing as the “Deadpool & Wolverine” trailer debuted right around kickoff time, it was likely one of the first things fans saw when they tuned in. The trailer’s success confirms two things: Audiences are starved for more Marvel content despite backlash to projects like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Secret Invasion,” and the MCU desperately needs marquee characters like Deadpool and Wolverine to generate interest.
Marvel fans have patiently waited since Disney acquired 20th Century Studios to see their beloved X-Men characters join the MCU. While it remains to be seen how integral the “Deadpool” threequel is to the Multiverse Saga, it’s obvious Marvel is leaning heavily into the already established and revered characters. With Wolverine mentioned in the official title, it’s clear that Marvel is peddling this picture like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Avengers: Endgame,” two franchise-defining crossovers.
With so many viewers interested in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” it’s fair to say that the picture will be a box office success — something Marvel desperately needs after the mediocre runs “Ant-Man 3” and “The Marvels” posted in 2023. No Marvel film has grossed over $1 billion since 2021’s “No Way Home”… maybe “Deadpool & Wolverine” can finally return the studio to its glory days?
