Ryan Reynolds Gives Christopher Nolan His Flowers After ‘The Odyssey’ Dethrones ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at the Box Office

Box office records rarely stay put for long, especially in a summer as stacked as this one. Between record-breaking sequels, surprise juggernauts, and one very ambitious sword-and-sandal epic, 2026 has already reshuffled more than a few long-standing benchmarks.

None of those shakeups have gotten quite as much attention as the one involving Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’ The nearly three-hour adaptation of Homer’s ancient poem has spent its entire theatrical run defying expectations for an R-rated release that isn’t attached to any existing franchise.

That run officially culminated in a new all-time record. Universal confirmed that ‘The Odyssey’ has grossed $1.352 billion worldwide, surpassing the $1.338 billion earned by ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ in 2024 to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever released.

It’s a milestone that also happens to make ‘The Odyssey’ Nolan’s biggest film to date, eclipsing 2012’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and its $1.08 billion total. The film has leaned heavily on IMAX support along the way, generating $354 million in IMAX revenue alone and surpassing ‘Avatar’ as the format’s highest-grossing release.

True to form, Ryan Reynolds didn’t let the record change hands quietly. Rather than sulking over losing the crown his own Marvel blockbuster once held, Reynolds took the opportunity to celebrate Nolan’s achievement with his usual mix of sincerity and humor.

Speaking at the ‘Mayday’ premiere Tuesday night, Reynolds praised Nolan directly, calling ‘The Odyssey’ an incredible movie and describing Nolan as someone who “literally breathes the rarest air on Earth,” according to Variety. He also pointed to the film’s ensemble, singling out Matt Damon and Tom Holland, and expressed enthusiasm simply for seeing audiences show up to theaters at all.

That sentiment echoed comments Reynolds had already made on social media weeks earlier, when he congratulated the cast and crew of ‘The Odyssey’ for claiming the record, joking about the film’s now-famous car moment in a nod to the Honda Odyssey that appeared prominently in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’ The good-natured ribbing between the two box office titans has become part of the story itself, with Reynolds even sharing an edited clip splicing footage from both films together.

What makes ‘The Odyssey’s’ achievement particularly notable is what it isn’t. Unlike the superhero team-up it dethroned, Nolan’s film carries no sequel numbering, no established franchise, and no built-in fanbase beyond the director’s own reputation and the enduring appeal of Homer’s source material.

The film’s ensemble cast, which includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal alongside Damon, helped fuel a run that pushed ‘The Odyssey’ past the $1 billion mark by early August, making it only the third R-rated release ever to do so alongside ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and ‘Joker.’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ still holds onto a few records of its own, including the largest global and domestic opening weekends for an R-rated film.

With the 2026 summer box office running well ahead of last year’s pace, ‘The Odyssey’s’ record only adds to a broader narrative about theatrical moviegoing bouncing back in a meaningful way. Whether that momentum carries into the fall slate remains to be seen, but for now, Nolan and his sprawling epic have earned their moment at the top.

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