Deadpool & Wolverine is adding yet another broken record to an already exhaustive list. An official press release revealed that Marvel’s most iconic duo has beaten the first-week domestic digital sales record for an R-rated movie — meaning that, even several months after its explosive theatrical debut, Deadpool & Wolverine is continuing its unprecedented run as an audience favorite.

The MCU’s latest, greatest film came to digital platforms on October 1st — and in true Deadpool and Wolverine fashion, proceeded to absolutely wreck their competition by eclipsing the previous R-rated record holder, John Wick: Chapter 4. This accolade is joined by over $1 billion dollars at the box office, where Deadpool & Wolverine continues to hold a top ten position despite being released in theaters almost three months ago. The film has also surpassed other box office hits, including crowd favorites like Oppenheimer, Joker, and the previous two Deadpool installments, to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever made.

Even other Marvel movies struggle to hold a candle to the success of Deadpool & Wolverine. Known for their loyal fanbase and supersized budgets, plenty of MCU films have shattered both records and audiences’ expectations, such as Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home. But as an R-rated film, Deadpool & Wolverine was a gamble that just so happened to hit the jackpot, since Disney has built its brand on being kid-friendly. And where movies like Avengers: Endgame profited from a decades-long buildup that ensured a massive audience turnout, Deadpool & Wolverine could only lean on the positive reception of its two titular characters in past projects.

Is Deadpool & Wolverine the New Normal for Marvel Movies?

The success of Deadpool & Wolverine may be unprecedented, but it isn’t exactly surprising. One of the film’s most talked-about aspects is its many, many cameos, which allowed less-than-successful MCU characters to enjoy a warm welcome from longtime superhero fans. Of course, Marvel is no stranger to using unexpected appearances as Easter eggs or hints at what’s to come, but the cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine added a little something extra to the familiar trope. By re-introducing characters that hadn’t exactly made a splash in their own films, Deadpool & Wolverine found a way to cater to members of the audience who loved those characters — without necessarily taking the risk of remaking old films. And since there’s no shortage of forgotten characters in Marvel comics, this is a technique that could become standard for future MCU films.

Related Deadpool & Wolverine’s First MCU Fight Gets Spot-On LEGO Reimagination Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine gets a LEGO redesign for the iconic first fight between the two titular characters.

Although the infamous R-rating of Deadpool & Wolverine was initially seen as a risk, it may also become a new standard. Chris Evan’s delightfully vulgar speech as Johnny Storm was one of the highlights of the film, and Deadpool himself has always been a fan-favorite character, in spite of — or perhaps because of — his tendency for fouler language. Given the incredible reception of Deadpool & Wolverine, as well as the Deadpool franchise overall, Marvel will likely decide to produce more R-rated projects in the future. That said, which beloved superheros will finally be able to drop an F-bomb is difficult to say for now.

A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.