Marvel comic-book movie Deadpool & Wolverine made 205 million US dollars (£159 million) in its first weekend in North American cinemas, according to studio estimates.

It shattered the opening record for so-called R-rated films previously held by the first Deadpool movie (132 million dollars – £102 million) and notched a spot in the top 10 openings of all time.

Including international showings, where it has racked up an addition 233.3 million US dollars (£181 million) from 52 markets, Deadpool & Wolverine is looking at a global opening of more than 438.3 million dollars (£340 million).

Fittingly for both characters’ introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool & Wolverine played less like earlier X-Men or Deadpool movies and more like an Avengers picture.

In the top domestic opening weekends ever, Deadpool & Wolverine is seated in eighth place between The Avengers and Black Panther.

It is by far the biggest opening of the year, unseating Disney’s Inside Out 2.

Playing in 4,210 locations, Deadpool & Wolverine also surpassed 2019’s The Lion King to become the biggest July opening ever, and is the 34th consecutive MCU movie to debut in first place. And these are numbers previously thought impossible for an R-rated film.

The Walt Disney Studios release arrived at a pivotal time for an industry grappling with box office returns that continue to run at a double-digit deficit from last year.

The success is also an important moment for Marvel Studios, which has had several high-profile disappointments lately, most notably The Marvels.

Marvel’s saviour came in the form of two characters who got their start outside of the MCU, and carried a Motion Picture Association rating that seemed to have an earnings cap.

Both Deadpool and Wolverine, played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, existed previously under the 21st Century Fox banner which for two decades had the rights to Marvel characters such as the X-Men and “Fantastic Four.

That changed when Disney acquired the studio’s film and TV assets in early 2019 and plans started to take shape over how all these characters would fit into Kevin Feige’s MCU. In some cases, as with Fantastic Four, Marvel Studios is starting afresh. With Deadpool & Wolverine, the stars were as crucial as their characters.

The top domestic opening of all time still firmly belongs to Avengers: Endgame with 357.1 million dollars (£277 million).