Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, was widely hailed as Marvel’s savior to reverse the MCU's box office slump. As expected, their superhero team-up delivered, drawing massive crowds to theaters and turning the film into a triumphant escape from box office woes. Fans flocked in droves to experience Reynolds' and Shawn Levy’s personalized love letter to the Fox era. The film, always destined for greatness, has now surpassed Joker, with Todd Phillips passing the torch of legacy to the new champions of the genre.

Fresh off its milestone achievement, Joker's director, Phillips, extended his congratulations to the Deadpool & Wolverine team for making history at the box office.

Deadpool & Wolverine is not only competing with traditional romantic comedies like It Ends With Us with what Hugh Jackman calls a romantic comedy but also making history in its distinctive creative type. The film recently broke its most significant record by surpassing Todd Phillips’ Joker to become the highest-grossing R-rated release worldwide. In response, Phillips took to Instagram to acknowledge his competitor, joking, “We knew it was going to be big, but this is too much.” 

With a nod to Marvel’s Merc with a Mouth’s legacy, the director acknowledged the well-deserved victory lap of Deadpool & Wolverine, stating, “have to tip my hat” to Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy for creating a true blockbuster. He also congratulated the entire team for their remarkable achievement. Deadpool & Wolverine concluded Thursday with a global total of $1.086 billion, outstripping Todd Phillips’ 2019 R-rated film Joker, which earned $1.079 billion. These are the only two R-rated movies to have crossed $1 billion.

Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Parallel With This 1987 Classic Has Fans in Complete Awe

With Deadpool & Wolverine’s latest milestone, all three Deadpool films starring Ryan Reynolds now rank among the Top 5 highest-grossing R-rated films globally.

Since its debut weekend in July, Deadpool & Wolverine have shattered numerous records, even surpassing the total earnings of the first two Deadpool films. It now holds the title of the highest-grossing R-rated release globally, ahead of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer occupies the third spot with $974.5 million, while Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Deadpool 2 take the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, completing the Top 5 R-rated releases of all time.

Deadpool earned $363.1 million domestically, bringing its global total to $782.6 million. Deadpool 2 made $318.5 million in domestic earnings and reached a worldwide total of $734.5 million. Having already achieved the highest debut for an R-rated film, now sitting on the throne of the biggest R-rated blockbuster, Deadpool & Wolverine now justifiably hold the title of Marvel Jesus, and it is easy to see why.

Amidst ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’s $1 Billion Box-Office, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Have a Much Bigger Reason to Celebrate

What do you think of Todd Phillips' congratulations to Deadpool & Wolverine's team for surpassing Joker as the biggest R-rated release of all time? Let us know in the comments below!