The conventional wisdom in geek circles is that Fox's "Deadpool," which stars Ryan Reynolds, was a massive success while DC/Warner's "Suicide Squad," with its ensemble cast that includes Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto, flopped. It's a perception that is seemingly reinforced on film site Rotten Tomatoes, with "Deadpool" scoring higher both among critics (84% vs.26%) and fans (90% vs. 66%). RELATED: "Suicide Squad" Has Now Earned More Money Than "Iron Man"However, recent box office figures tweeted by the Exhibitor Relations Company show a different story in the international (non-U.S.) box office. In this arena "Suicide Squad" grossed $419.6 million, slightly ahead of "Deadpool" on a $419.5 million gross.

Domestically and overall the Merc with a Mouth still comes out on top, grossing $782 million to Harley Quinn and Co.'s $742 million according to boxofficemojo.com, and "Deadpool" had a much smaller production budget to begin with – $58 million vs. $175 million, but the Fox film also had lower expectations to meet.

RELATED: “Deadpool” Ends U.S. Theatrical Run With $363 Million

Ultimately, the take-home from these figures should be that both films performed well and that no matter how vocal or vociferous a section of fans or critics may be, it is ordinary cinema-goers who decide what they will pay money to see.

"Deadpool 2" is already in pre-production with Ryan Reynolds due to return to his starring role. The film is scheduled to release on January 12, 2018.