The eagerly awaited Deadpool & Wolverine from Disney/Marvel Studios has secured a concurrent release in China on July 26, marking a significant milestone as the Merc with a Mouth finally receives the green light to debut simultaneously in both China and the United States. This approval from Beijing's film regulators represents a momentous occasion for Marvel fans worldwide.
Disney announced the news on Monday through Marvel's Chinese social media accounts, sparking jubilation among moviegoers. The original Deadpool (2016), produced amidst the height of Marvel mania in China, was denied a theatrical release due to its graphic content. However, Deadpool 2 (2018) eventually made its way to Chinese screens, albeit months later and in a PG-13 holiday season version titled Once Upon a Deadpool. Despite the delay, the film still managed to gross a respectable $42 million in China, contributing significantly to its worldwide total of $51 million.
While Disney has not officially disclosed whether any censorship changes will be made to Deadpool & Wolverine as part of the release agreement with China's Film Bureau, insiders familiar with both the Deadpool franchise and Chinese regulators' usual modus operandi expect some adjustments to the film's graphic violence and colorful language. Sources close to the film assure that no cuts will be made that compromise the integrity of the storytelling or the essence of the Deadpool spirit.
Regardless of its final form, the film will serve as a valuable indicator of the current state of the Marvel brand in the world's second-largest theatrical film market. Deadpool & Wolverine is arguably the most anticipated superhero film in recent years, and China's market watchers will be eagerly awaiting its release to see if it can reignite fan enthusiasm for the MCU.
Since the pandemic era, Hollywood blockbusters have struggled to regain their former glory at China's box office. Even the top-performing titles this year, such as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($132.2 million) and Kung Fu Panda 4 ($51.6 million), have fallen far short of the blockbuster earnings that were once commonplace during the country's box-office boom times in the late 2010s. Marvel, particularly, has seen a decline in popularity. For a significant period during the pandemic, Marvel titles were denied releases in China due to pandemic control measures and suspected political issues. Although MCU movies have begun to flow back into the country in recent years, none have come close to breaking the $100 million mark—a milestone that was once routine for the franchise in China (the last MCU movie to surpass $100 million in China was Spider-Man: Far From Home, which grossed $199 million in mid-2019). Meanwhile, the biggest Chinese hits now regularly rake in hundreds of millions.
Perhaps it will be the anarchic energy and anti-hero chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman that spark a revival. In a follow-up post on Chinese social media on Monday, Marvel announced that the stars of Deadpool & Wolverine, along with director Shawn Levy, will visit China in early July to promote the film. Such trips were once commonplace for A-list Hollywood talent, but they have become increasingly rare in recent years.
