Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster, The Odyssey, has just stolen the record from one of the MCU's biggest releases. Nolan's new mythological epic has been on a tear at the box office with its modern adaptation of Homer's classic Greek poem. That huge theatrical performance has now led it to steal the box-office crown from one of the MCU's strongest performers.
The Odyssey has now reportedly surpassed $1.33 billion in worldwide box office revenue, officially making it the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. This record was previously held by Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine, which ended its theatrical run with $1.33 billion. Given that demand for The Odyssey isn't dwindling any time soon, with IMAX 70mm showings selling out in many major cinemas through September, it's clear Nolan's film will far surpass this record by the time its theatrical run is over.
Deadpool & Wolverine was Marvel Studios' highest-earner in the recent Multiverse Saga, excluding the recent release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is poised to outdo all of the MCU's movies at the box office. The Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds film was the MCU's first R-rated theatrical release, and it paid off, with the movie becoming one of the top 10 highest-earning Marvel films. For about two years, it provided Marvel Studios with the box office record for the highest-earning R-rated film, but that baton has now been passed to Christopher Nolan and The Odyssey.
While The Odyssey may seem much milder in terms of its R-rating, the film still features intense sequences of violence and gore that earn it a mature rating. Meanwhile, Deadpool & Wolverine is far more overt with its rating, pushing hard into violence and profanity.
As the news got around, Ryan Reynolds weighed in on Deadpool & Wolverine losing its crown, sharing on Instagram a mash-up of scenes between The Odyssey and the bloody car fight between himself and Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine. The actor wrote, "Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of The Odyssey for becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. That is one helluva car." The reference is a clever play on words to the scene in which Deadpool says, "I take it all back, the Honda Odyssey f***s hard."
The Odyssey's popularity builds on not only its all-star cast but also Nolan's pioneering effort to shoot the entire, almost three-hour film on IMAX 70mm film stock for the first time ever. That feat has led to only a handful of cinemas in the world being capable of screening The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm, and as a result, these sessions have been selling out weeks, even months, in advance.
Nolan has come close to breaking this record before with his previous release, Oppenheimer, which is the fourth-highest-grossing R-rated movie at the box office, behind Joker. Reynolds' previous Marvel movies, Deadpool and Deadpool 2, also appear on the top 10 list.
Can the MCU Reclaim Its Crown From Christopher Nolan?
While Spider-Man: Brand New Day may take the overall crown at the box office this year, The Odyssey has been successful in taking away the MCU's R-rated record. The R-rated space is not something Marvel Studios typically operates in, with Deadpool & Wolverine testing the waters for the studio and coming back with a resounding success.
Looking ahead, there is still a way Marvel Studios can compete with The Odyssey and reclaim its crown: Deadpool 4.
While Marvel Studios has remained quiet about whether Reynolds and Jackman will return in the upcoming Avengers films, Reynolds has reportedly been working in the background to make Deadpool 4 happen. Arguably, the combination of Reynolds and Jackman's characters was a big part of Deadpool 3's success, so to top this, the rumors about Reynolds wanting Deadpool 4 to be a team-up film may need to pan out.
Marvel's team-up films have typically done the best at the box office, with the Avengers movies often raking in billions of dollars, and even some of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's success relying on calls from the wider MCU, like Mark Ruffalo's Hulk and Jon Bernthal's Punisher.
With the MCU now officially introducing its own X-Men, Deadpool 4 has the chance to take advantage of all the new mutants in the MCU and build a team-up movie that can help to usher in the next era of X-Men storytelling. A crossover like this, while keeping the R-rating and tone of past Deadpool films, certainly gives Deadpool 4 the potential to reclaim its spot at the top.
