Amid rumors that Deadpool 2 was struggling to leave much of an impression on its test audiences, The Hollywood Reporter has cut through the white noise to reveal that the David Leitch sequel is actually performing remarkably well. So much so, in fact, that it’s already outscored the first film.
Per THR, it’s been confirmed that the Merc’s sophomore adventure has been tested three times in total. The first pair of screenings weighed in at 91 and 97, respectively, which is impressive in and of itself. Perhaps most exciting of all, the outlet goes on to reveal that the final test, which occurred in Dallas, sampled two separate cuts of Deadpool 2 – one unfinished version along with the final cut that Leitch and the team have settled on, which supposedly blew the doors off with a 98. For the record, the other version scored a not-so-shabby 94.
Sources close to THR suggest that the 98-scoring audience fell head over heels in love with Deadpool 2, with one comparing the “electric atmosphere” to watching the Super Bowl.
Granted, advance screenings tend to be full of excitable fans, but the fact that most, if not all of the Deadpool 2 crew attended that “electric” showcase in Dallas leaves us feeling pretty confident that the Merc With a Mouth will skate around the sophomore slump with ease.
As for those aforementioned test screenings, the finalized version of Deadpool 2 reportedly added more Cable and Domino, two headline-worthy newcomers to be played by Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War) and Zazie Beetz. And we’ll be able to see what all the fuss is about on May 18th.