Deadpool 2 is currently the second highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time behind Joker, but does it deserve that high ranking? The Merc with a Mouth's second big screen adventure was recently usurped in box office terms by Todd Phillips' Joker. A low-budget DC movie with no connection to any wider franchise, Joker was already a risky proposition before fans discovered it was essentially a detailed and disturbing artistic character study in which Joaquin Phoenix explores the mental state of a character who may or may not be Batman's future nemesis. Joker has virtually nothing in common with the superhero movie genre or the general blockbuster format, but has still enjoyed phenomenal box office success thanks to strong reviews, an award-winning festival run and positive word of mouth. As the cyanide-laced cherry on the cake, Joker recently became the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time at the worldwide box office.
The film Joker toppled at the top of that pile was another comic book adaptation, albeit one from the Marvel camp - Deadpool 2. Ryan Reynolds' original 2016 Deadpool effort was hailed as a perfect balance of violence, action and comedy, proving to studios in no uncertain terms that mature superhero movies could still bring in tons of cash. The follow-up introduced Josh Brolin's Cable and Zazie Beetz's Domino, and although the sequel perhaps wasn't received as rapturously as its predecessor, Deadpool 2 was still a very worthy continuation that greatly expanded the fictional world of Wade Wilson and his friends. It also gave the world Rob Delaney's Peter.
Deadpool 2 currently sits as runner-up some way behind Joker in the worldwide box office rankings, but it could be argued that the original Deadpool movie is more worthy of that spot, not because of any difference in quality between the two installments, but due to how Deadpool 2 was released. Six months after Deadpool 2's initial theatrical run began, a re-edited PG-13 cut called Once Upon A Deadpool hit cinema screens, removing some of the grislier material for a more kid-friendly audience and inserting a framing device in which the film's story was being narrated to Fred Savage in a nod to The Princess Bride. It was only because of this festive re-release that Deadpool 2 overtook the original, approximately raking in an additional $50 million and narrowly attaining second place with $785,046,920 to Deadpool's $782,612,155.
As such, it's somewhat unfair for Deadpool 2 to sit above Deadpool at the worldwide box office rankings, and that ordering doesn't provide an accurate reflection of the respective financial success of the two films. If the original Deadpool had also been re-cut for younger eyes and ears in Once Upon A Deadpool style, then it would currently be the movie sitting directly behind Joker in the 2019 table, and perhaps even could've seen off the Clown Prince of Crime's challenge.
Arguably adding to the sense of injustice is the fact that many fans consider Once Upon A Deadpool to be an unnecessary addition to the series. The censored edit was largely deemed too similar to the first cut to warrant its own separate release, and this was highlighted when the UK's film certification board gave Once Upon A Deadpool the exact same classification as the full-fat version of Deadpool 2. For many, Deadpool without an R-rating also seems like an entirely pointless exercise; akin to a Batman film without intense nighttime brooding on top of tall buildings. This was a key point of contention in Ryan Reynolds' attempts to get Deadpool made in the first place, and the only saving grace is that part of Once Upon A Deadpool's takings were donated to charity.
If Deadpool 2's PG-13 edit had felt a little less like Diet Deadpool, it might've earned its position underneath Arthur Fleck at the worldwide box office, but the cynicism behind the Christmas re-release means that the original Deadpool has been cheated out of its rightful place.
