Even Hollywood superheroes play ping-pong

Deadpool & Wolverine, biggest grossing R-rated film in the North American market, proves a hit with audiences, Xu Fan reports.

With China's summer box-office season in its final stretch, Deadpool and Wolverine — making their debut as a dynamic duo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — are stealing the limelight on thousands of silver screens.

As the latest Marvel superhero film, Deadpool & Wolverine has raked in over 300 million yuan ($42.1 million) since its debut on the Chinese mainland on July 26, making it one of the most popular foreign blockbusters in the country.

With Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds reprising their roles as Wolverine and Deadpool respectively, the 126-minute storyline follows Deadpool's invitation to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the Time Variance Authority and his decision to enlist a variant of Wolverine to prevent the extinction of his own universe.

For most die-hard Marvel fans, one of the most exciting elements is the return of Jackman as Wolverine, a mutant with special healing powers, whose lethal weapons are a pair of metal claws.

During a promotional tour in Shanghai last month, Jackman revealed that he made the decision to reprise his role during a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Long Island in New York.

"My children were in the back of the car, both with headphones on. I was just driving and thinking about how I encourage them to dream about anything in life. I asked myself what I would want to do with my life if I could do anything," the Australian actor says.