A group of Marvel fans were treated to a 35-minute sneak peek of Deadpool & Wolverine when director Shawn Levy, alongside actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, visited a small theater in Shanghai, China as part of the film’s global promotional tour. The footage “elicited constant laughter and applause.”

“I was shocked and incredibly excited that China welcomes Deadpool particularly like this. This is my favorite Deadpool movie that I’ve ever been a part of,” Reynolds told attendees via China.org. “The movie has been such a labor of love. And it has been such a privilege for me to be on screen with Ryan but also to work with two of my best friends on a movie that is ultimately about friendship and really about joy,” Jackman added.

The biggest laughs came from the film’s cynical irony, blunt self-mockery, and jokes about Disney and 20th Century Fox. Per ComicBook, fans also got to see the pair interacting with a major Marvel character. “There’s so many surprises in the movie we don’t want the world to start talking about it before people actually get a chance to see it. But those 35 minutes, they cook. They’re pretty damn incredible,” Reynolds told the crowd after the screening. “Wait ’til you see the whole thing,” Levy added. “There are a lot of surprises coming for you later this month.”

Fans May Have To See Deadpool & Wolverine More Than Once

With Deadpool & Wolverine promising so many elements, Levy previously recommended repeated viewings to properly experience the film. “There are going to be moments that the audiences are going to love, but I’ll also say there are moments where they are going to lose their damn minds – like that times ten billion,” the director explained. “Which is not a number, but I’m using it for hyperbole. There are some moments in this movie that if you can even hear the dialogue over the laughter, we’ve failed.”

Deadpool & Wolverine is currently projected to earn between $160 million and $165 million during its opening weekend at the domestic box office. If predictions hold, the upcoming Phase Five MCU blockbuster is set to kick off its theatrical run with the highest-earning opening weekend of any movie released in 2024. The film would also break the record for the best opening ever for an R-rated film, surpassing the 2016 Deadpool movie, which earned $133.7 million during its opening weekend.

Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters worldwide on July 26, 2024.