Ryan Reynolds reacts to Deadpool & Wolverine box office demolition

Ryan Reynolds has shared his thoughts on the unprecedented success of Deadpool & Wolverine at the box office.

The Marvel Studios movie opened to an estimated $205 million (£159 million), the eighth-biggest debut of all time among any film and by far the biggest launch for an R-rated film.

Reynolds, who has just returned home from a worldwide promo tour for the film with director Shawn Levy and co-star Hugh Jackman, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday about the movie's record-shattering debut.

"Disney probably doesn't want me to frame it this way, but I've always thought of Deadpool & Wolverine as the first four-quadrant, R-rated film," Reynolds said.

"Yes, it's rated R, but we set out to make a movie with enough laughs, action and heart to appeal to everyone, whether you're a comic book movie fan or not."

The R rating afforded Reynolds the creative freedom needed to fulfill his vision.

"When I saw rated-R movies when I was a kid, they left a huge impression on me because I didn't feel like people were pulling punches, and it's been a huge inspiration to so many of the things that I look to make now," Reynolds recently told The New York Times.

The third outing in Reynolds' irreverent superhero franchise smashed numerous other records both domestically and overseas as the biggest debut since Avatar: The Way of the Water in December 2022.