Marvel Theory: Only 2 Multiverse Saga Movies Are More Important Than Deadpool 3

"Deadpool 3," slated to release this summer, is the only movie currently on Marvel's calendar for 2024, leaving the year shockingly devoid of content after a glut of films and streaming series kept fans gorged on superheroes since 2021. The drought is due in part to the now-concluded WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but it also comes as MCU movies have begun to sink at the box office. In its opening weekend, "The Marvels" was the worst box office bomb in MCU history, despite paying off story beats introduced in multiple previous entries. That puts enormous pressure on "Deadpool 3" to deliver a win for the MCU, and even more on the next two "Avengers" flicks.

The Hollywood Reporter calls "Deadpool 3" "the most important project for the studio outside of anything with 'Avengers' in the title," a fair enough assessment if we're talking numbers. The franchise was a big earner under the Fox banner before that studio was acquired by Disney, and with the third entry in the series arriving as part of the MCU, it might be the best hope for the once-unstoppable media multiverse to regain momentum.

Only the upcoming pair of "Avengers" movies, which were announced as "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" and "Avengers: Secret Wars," would be of greater importance. The MCU's premier superteam's films have historically been enormous earners, with three of the existing four landing in the top 10 highest grossing movies of all time. But neither of them is likely to arrive before 2026, and Marvel is rumored to be scrapping its build of Kang the Conqueror, leaving Ryan Reynolds to carry the flagging franchise on his back in 2024.

"Deadpool" was a surprise success for Fox, bringing in $132.4 million on opening weekend and climbing to a lifetime total of $782.6 million worldwide — all on a budget of $58 million. Its sequel, "Deadpool 2," had a similar performance on about double the budget. Comparing that to "The Marvels," which pulled in $47 million on its opening weekend with a reported budget of $274.8 million, the imperative for "Deadpool 3" to be a hit is obvious. It would be a much-needed boost for the MCU while opening the door for characters from the X-Men.

The urgency placed on "Deadpool 3" is underscored by recent comments from Disney CEO Bob Iger, who recently stated, "I've always felt that quantity can actually be a negative when it comes to quality. And I think that's what happened. We lost some focus" (via The Motley Fool). In some ways, the "Deadpool" franchise represents both sides of that equation. In quantity, it allows a slew of X-Men characters to be introduced to the MCU, while in quality, it must impress fans and critics in order to draw audiences back to theaters.

But while "Deadpool 3" may help restore Marvel to good graces with fans, the "Avengers" movies are the promise that keeps the MCU going in the long run. After watching a series of other movies, audiences get to see their investment pay off with epic crossovers between those characters. All of the existing "Avengers" films have been massive hits, so while "Deadpool" may act as a bellwether for the MCU, the performance of the next two "Avengers" will likely determine its future.

With the upcoming "Avengers" movies still a couple of years out, Marvel must go the extra mile to impress fans. It was 2012's "The Avengers" that marked the arrival of the MCU as a cultural juggernaut, proving that fans would flock to see a team-up of heroes from movies like "Iron Man" and "Captain America: The First Avenger." Many fans believe the MCU peaked with 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" and 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," which capped off a decade of interconnected storytelling. Each of those movies made over a billion dollars and have combined for a cumulative $7.7 billion. The numbers highlight how much passion fans felt for the MCU, and new entries in the "Avengers" series may get those who have tuned out from Marvel back on the bandwagon.

Other massive earners like James Gunn's take on the "Guardians of the Galaxy" series are now in the rearview, with the third film in that series, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" earning in line with what was previously expected of a massive Marvel blockbuster in a year that otherwise sagged. Team-ups with established, major characters also sell, as "Spider-Man: No Way Home" also evidenced through its success in bringing together live-action Spider-Men in a multiversal crossover, which "Deadpool 3" will provide as Reynolds teams with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.

The 2020s have not been kind to the MCU, and the barrage of content on Disney+ has vastly diluted the brand. Disney has gone back to the drawing board for anticipated projects like "Daredevil: Born Again," and may be scrapping Kang as the main villain of the franchise entirely. The MCU could be in the endgame, now, and its fate may well lie with Deadpool and the Avengers.