Only three R-rated films have ever grossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office, a milestone that defies the industry assumption that the MPA's restrictive certification limits a film's blockbuster potential. Collider ranks these three releases from worst to best, arguing that films aimed confidently at adult audiences can still achieve the biggest commercial success in modern cinema, even as other R-rated hits such as Deadpool 2 and Oppenheimer fell just short of the threshold.

The list is led, in third place, by 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, which took $1.39 billion worldwide to become the highest-grossing R-rated film ever made, despite the article's criticism that it leans more on references and cameos than genuine jokes. The piece notes Todd Phillips' Joker (2019) as the first R-rated film to cross $1 billion, though the article excerpt does not detail its final ranking position or the third film on the list.