Deadpool & Wolverine’s Massive Tax Credit Brings UK Government Under Scrutiny

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Recent attention surrounding Deadpool & Wolverine has moved beyond how much money it’s making in theaters and now focuses on a large tax credit the film received from the U.K. government. Newly published numbers show exactly how much financial support Disney received, which has restarted discussions about whether big-budget movies should receive public funding. This financial detail is now being closely watched by people in both politics and the film industry.

Deadpool & Wolverine got over $100 million in tax credit

Disney received approximately $104.7 million (£82 million) in tax credits from the U.K. for the film Deadpool & Wolverine. This includes $77.6 million (£60.9 million) in 2024 and $26.8 million (£21.1 million) in 2023, as reported by The London Standard and Forbes. This is the biggest tax credit given to a single movie production in the U.K. since 2007.

As of October 31, 2024, Disney’s U.K. production company, Richmond Street Productions, had spent £418.1 million (about $533.7 million) on a film, making it one of the top 10 most costly movies ever created. The U.K. government offers tax breaks for film production, reimbursing up to 25.5% of qualifying local expenses, and has provided a total of £6.4 billion in tax credits since 2007. Filming for the movie took place at Pinewood Studios and at locations around the U.K., including Pitstone Quarry and Burnham Beeches.

Honestly, I was pretty shocked to read about this payout. It just feels… poorly timed, you know? With energy prices about to skyrocket here in the U.K. and taxes going up, it seems bizarre that the government is handing out tens of millions to a hugely profitable company to help fund a superhero movie. As the TaxPayers’ Alliance pointed out, it’s hard to justify when ordinary families are really feeling the squeeze. It just doesn’t sit right with me, as a movie fan and a citizen.

According to Dan Neidle at Tax Policy, while film tax credits are vital for the film industry, it’s questionable whether they ultimately benefit the UK economy overall.

I was blown away when I heard Deadpool & Wolverine made $1.34 billion worldwide! But after learning how much the movie actually cost to make, I’m starting to think it won’t be quite as huge a financial success as we first thought. It’s still amazing, but the profit margin might be smaller than expected.

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2025-12-01 13:47