How the 'Deadpool' budget stacks up to other superhero movies

"Deadpool" has been an unexpected box-office hit. Fox's R-rated Marvel movie has already brought in more than $491 million worldwide at theaters.

That's pretty impressive given the fact that "Deadpool" has been banned in China - the world's second largest theatrical market - and was made on a pretty meager budget.

"The budget was much, much smaller relatively than to other big, huge superhero movies," screenwriter Paul Wernick recently told Tech Insider. "Ryan [Reynolds] jokes that we made this movie on the budget of other superhero movie's laser hair removal budget."

We looked at other origin superhero movie budgets to compare to "Deadpool" and Wernick is right.

According to Box Office Mojo, the estimated budget for "Deadpool" is $58 million. Today, the average superhero movie budget is north of $100 million. Granted, "Deadpool" is an R-rated movie whereas most superhero movies are rated PG-13 to cater to a larger demographic. So there is a bigger risk to take

Still "Deadpool" has already made more than some origin superhero movies including 2005's "Batman Begins" ($374 million), 2011's "Thor" ($449 million), and 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger" ($370 million).

Take a look to see how the "Deadpool" budget compares to other superhero movies.