24/7 Wall St. Insights

• The improbable pairing of two superheroes has set the record for R-rated movies.
• “Deadpool & Wolverine” is a significant win for Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS).
• Also: Dividend legends to hold forever.

The improbable pairing of two superheroes has set the record for R-rated movies at $1.085 billion. It comprises $516.8 million in domestic sales and $568.8 million from international ticket sales. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is a significant win for Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS), which has suffered through several quarters of poor earnings. Poor studio performance was part of the problem.

The formula for the movie could help Disney in the future. An R-rating is never associated with films based on Marvel heroes. “It’s important to remember that the rating was organic and necessary for the characters. That’s helped audiences and fans respond so favorably,” Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory, told CNBC.

Deadpool is a troubled antihero, and Wolverine is among the most powerful members of the X-Men franchise. Disney has meshed together characters from two extremely different Marvel genres. What is known as the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” is the top-rated franchise of all time, according to Box Office Mojo. Its total U.S. and Canada ticket sales sit at $11.8 billion.

A hugely positive audience reaction probably helped drive ticket sales. The “Deadpool & Wolverine” audience rating is 95% at the Rotten Tomatoes movie review site.

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