Deadpool & Wolverine managed to pass off an MCU favorite in the Marvel box office rankings. This week, Shawn Levy’s big blockbuster leaped over Captain America: Civil War for the number 8 biggest Marvel movie of all time. Deadpool & Wolverine crossed $1.154 billion which eclipsed the Russo Bros. favorite, which stands at $1.151 billion. In the case of the split between domestic markets and abroad, North American theaters account for $556 million of that massive number and overseas box office handled the rest. As the summer movie season got started, a lot of folks were worried about the state of the industry. With Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and a host of options, things are considerably rosier than when the hottest part of the year kicked off.

Just this week, Marvel’s integration of the mutants reclaimed the top spot at the box office. Deadpool & Wolverine is a full-blown feel-good hit. Alien: Romulus is probably going to come-in second. (A development that shows a lot of that bluster about sequels not being an audience priority is a bit misplaced.) Now, the question remains of how far Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s long-awaited team-up movie can go. It’s going to be tough to get past Black Panther or Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the possibility definitely exists. And, that wasn’t something people could be sure of 12 months ago.

Why Is Deadpool & Wolverine So Good?

These wild box office numbers just prove the point that Deadpool & Wolverine was something this audience truly wanted. Jenna Anderon reviewed this movie for ComicBook. In her review, our critic complimented the thrill ride feel of Deadpool & Wolverine. But, what really makes this movie special is the bond at the center of it. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are really best friends and it shines through at every turn.

“Deadpool & Wolverine keeps a thematic core that tackles insecurity, failure, and loneliness at virtually every turn,” Anderson argues. “While it takes a few beats for the surprisingly small-scale story to kick into high gear, those emotions certainly fuel our two protagonists, who are charting their own courses toward a future that will hopefully be a little bit kinder to them.”