Sony’s Spider-Man Universedidn’t fare well overall, to put it mildly, and it’s easier to see why when comparingDeadpool’s production budget to each installment of the franchise.Deadpool’s cinematic fortunes are among the most impressive in the superhero genre, with his MCU debut inDeadpool & Wolverinehelping to hoist the franchise out of a historic slump after the record-breaking flop that wasThe Marvels.Deadpool & Wolverinewas by far his most successful outing, grossing $1.3 billion to join the echelons ofbillion-dollar MCU movies, but all his solo films also grossed more than any X-Men movie.
Sony’s Spider-Man franchiseisn’t without its own successes.Venom, for instance, is one of the highest-grossing superhero movies with a laudable $856 million worldwide gross. Still, the success of its debut movie did not shield the franchise from raking in an underwhelming overall result.The death of Sony’s Spider-Man Universewas punctuated by its biggest flop yet withKraven the Hunter, which grossed $60 million worldwide. Sadly, this gulf between Deadpool and Sony’s movies is worsened by their production budgets.
Deadpool’s Reported Budget Is Decidedly Low For A Superhero Movie
Deadpool Was Cheaper Than Every Superhero Cinematic Franchise Movie
According toThe Numbers,2016’sDeadpoolcost just $58 million to make. This is a particularly low figure for superhero movies, with no MCU movie to date costing less than $130 million to produce, which was the reported budget forAnt-ManandAnt-Man and the Wasp. The DCEU got closer to that figure, with its lowest budget amounting to $82 million forBirds of Preyin 2020. This also makesDeadpoolthe cheapest ofall Fox’s X-Men movies, with the next-lowest being $67 million for 2020’sThe New Mutants.
When Deadpool attempts to recruit Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, he notes, “Big house, it’s funny I only ever see two of you. It’s almost like the studio couldn’t afford another X-Man.”
One reason forDeadpool’s minimal production budget is even addressed in one fourth-wall break in the movie. When Deadpool attempts to recruit Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, he notes, “Big house, it’s funny I only ever see two of you. It’s almost like the studio couldn’t afford another X-Man.“This, combined with the minimal use of CGI compared to larger-scale productions of the MCU, helped to keep costs down for the movie, which Ryan Reynolds remarked in an interview withYahoo!was lowered in exchange for more creative freedom.
Deadpool’s Budget Is Even Lower Than Every Single Sony Spider-Man Universe Movie
Sony’s Cheapest Movie Cost $75 Million
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe wasn’t in the habit of making movies as expensive as the MCU’s, either. Instead,most of the movies in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe were produced on a budget of $110 million, withVenom’s chart-topping $116 million budget still falling short of the $130 million used to makethe MCU’s cheapest movies. Nevertheless, even the cheapest movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe,Morbius, was nearly $20 million more expensive thanDeadpool.
Production Budgets and Box Offices for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and Deadpool (viaThe Numbers)
$856,081,053
$116,000,000
$501,546,922
$110,000,000
$474,492,936
Kraven the Hunter (2024)
$60,011,428
$100,298,817
$80,000,000
$162,759,437
$75,000,000
$781,947,691
$58,000,000
This amplifies the gulf in profitability betweenDeadpooland Sony’s Spider-Man Universe installments.Venomgrossed more worldwide thanDeadpoolby nearly $100 million, though it’s worth noting that it cost double the amount to make.Deadpool’s worldwide gross far exceeds that of every other Sony Spider-Man Universe installment by quite a margin, earning more than double the total amount of all non-Venom movies combined for a fraction of the combined budget.
Why Deadpool’s Budget Being Lower Than The Sony Spider-Man Universe Movies Is So Notable
Deadpool’s Shoestring Success Sets An Interesting Precedent
Deadpool’s low budget when compared to those of Sony’s Spider-Man Universegoes to show how superhero movies can thrive on a shoestring.Deadpoolwas a labor of love (as indicated by Reynolds' comments about being given a smaller budget) that pushed boundaries within a genre that was already starting to put off some audiences in 2016 with its predictability. Deadpool’s overall popularity also cannot be overstated, which is why Venom also enjoyed a relatively successful run at the box office, although Tom Hardy’s own affinity for the character also had a part to play.
By contrast,Sony’s Spider-Man Universe contradicted its own nameand spotlighted some of Marvel’s most obscure characters at a greater expense. Still, whatever the general sentiments surrounding Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and Deadpool’s cinematic legacy may be,Deadpool’s ability to make such a profitable movie with one of the smallest budgets in the entire genre is one of the most impressive feats to come out of superhero cinema. Now, I hope this leads to the merging of two worlds and thatDeadpool’s next team-up will be with Spider-Man himself to build upon the inordinate success of each characters' careers.
