‘The Odyssey’ Beats ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ to Become Biggest R-Rated Movie Ever
Deadpool is proving to be surprisingly magnanimous as the flippant character loses a box office record to The Odyssey.
Universal Pictures confirmed Thursday that Christopher Nolan‘s mythological epic has collected $1.352 billion globally to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. The sum surpasses the $1.338 billion that Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine earned after hitting theaters in July 2024.
Starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson, The Odyssey has had a historic run at the box office since its July 17 release, with its domestic cume now standing at $516.3 million. Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the film had surpassed Nolan’s 2012 title The Dark Knight Rises to become the acclaimed filmmaker’s highest-grossing movie ever at the global box office.
Ryan Reynolds, known for playing the mouthy mercenary in the Deadpool franchise, took to social media to congratulate The Odyssey and pass the torch. His post included clips from Deadpool & Wolverine that show Reynolds’ Deadpool coincidentally battling Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine inside a Honda Odyssey minivan for Marvel Studios’ smash hit.
“Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of The Odyssey for becoming the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time,” Reynolds wrote. “That is one helluva car.”
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. pic.twitter.com/s7QzTza21l
Nolan’s film, which was the first narrative feature to be shot entirely on Imax film cameras, previously made history as the highest-grossing Imax release of all time. It also marks the highest-grossing movie globally for Damon, Hathaway and Pattinson’s careers.
With Nolan and Emma Thomas producing for Syncopy, The Odyssey adapts Homer’s epic poem in telling the story of Odysseus (Damon) making his way home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. It is expected to be a significant player in the forthcoming awards season.
Shawn Levy helmed Deadpool & Wolverine, marking the third entry in the Deadpool series that kicked off with the 2016 original. Deadpool & Wolverine scored $636 million domestically.
Thanks to The Odyssey, along with other hits like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Toy Story 5, the 2026 summer box office has collected a total of $4.24 billion domestically as of Sunday, according to Rentrak, putting the season 23.7 percent above last year’s tally to that point. The all-time summer mark remains 2013’s $4.75 billion.