If fans of the X-Men movie franchise and Wolverine in general had a time machine, they might want to take it back to 2009 when X-Men Origins: Wolverine hit theaters to assure their past selves that everything would be alright. Not only would the series eventually recover from X-Men: The Last Stand with First Class and Days of Future Past, but a true version of Deadpool would make its way to theaters. Even better, but the Wolverine would be redeemed with a proper solo outing before Hugh Jackman and the character were given the masterful swan song that is Logan.

Logan is not only winning over fans, but critics have given it a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. That aprroval comes thanks to a somber character study wrapped in the trappings of a superhero film. The package is also helping the movie to earn Fox quite a return on their investment, as the R-Rated feature is projected to pull in $80 million during its opening weekend at home and possibly hit $170 million globally. And even though the film didn’t technically debut until today, it’s already breaking records due to early screenings.

Deadline has the news that, thanks to Thursday night showings of the film, Logan has already pulled in $9.5 million in the states. That not only bests other superhero films like Doctor Strange and Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse, but it’s even more impressive when you consider it was rated R. Coming in third behind Hangover II and record-holder Deadpool, Logan is all set to be one of the highest-earning R-Rated movies of all time.

Where once only midnight screenings gave fans a chance to see films prior to their release date (as was the case with Hangover II), blockbusters in recent years have begun virtually premiering a day earlier than advertised at most theaters across the country. That not only helps films get the word out early, good or bad, but provides movies with a way of boosting their opening weekend numbers.

While Logan may be atypical for a superhero movie, it still is one at heart. Not only does it open with a teaser featuring Deadpool, but it’s packed full of Easter eggs and references. And while Logan may not suit up in yellow, there are plenty of nods to his iconic outfit, from comics to toys. We also recently learned that Sabretooth almost appeared in the film, something that seems to have been paid homage to in the design of the film’s new villain.

All in all, it’s an exciting time for Wolverine fans, and the film is leaving many hoping that we’ll start seeing more R-Rated superhero movies. Given Logan’s success, along with Deadpool’s last year, that no longer seems like a distant dream.

Source: Deadline

  • Wolverine 3 Release Date: 2017-03-03 Deadpool 2 Release Date: 2018-05-18