Marvel’s blockbuster movie, “Avengers: Endgame,” reclaimed its title as the highest-grossing film worldwide (not adjusting for inflation) over the weekend. The film, produced by Disney, raked in a total of $2.9255 billion US, narrowly surpassing James Cameron’s previous record-holder, “Avatar,” which earned $2.9237 billion US.
This shift in rankings comes after the recent re-release of “Endgame” in cinemas, marking the second time it has surpassed “Avatar” in box office earnings. Following its return to theaters with an extended cut last month, the reissued version of the superhero ensemble film debuted with a global box office revenue of $86 million US ($26 million US domestically), as reported by Disney.
The re-release of the film served as a prelude to “Avengers: Doomsday,” the upcoming installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s series of high-budget ensemble films. Set to premiere on December 18, the movie will reintroduce familiar characters such as Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.
This release presents an opportunity for the MCU to regain its cultural prominence after recent films like “Thunderbolts” and “Captain America: Brave New World” failed to resonate with audiences due to the introduction of new lead characters.
In terms of re-releases, only “Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1997 ($35.9 million US) and “The Lion King” in 2011 ($30.2 million US) have outperformed “Endgame” in domestic cinemas. In 2019, the Marvel film set a new record when its total earnings surpassed “Avatar” shortly after its initial release.
The achievement is significant as James Cameron had held the top spot since 1998 with “Titanic” becoming the highest-grossing film at that time. Despite the lower ticket prices during its run, “Avatar” climbed to the number one position in 2010 after just 39 days in theaters.
Upon losing the top spot to “Endgame” in 2019, Cameron graciously acknowledged Marvel’s success. However, following a 2021 re-release in China, “Avatar” reclaimed the top position, grossing over $2.8 billion US. The directors of “Endgame,” Joe and Anthony Russo, congratulated Cameron on social media, symbolically passing the torch back to him.
This back-and-forth between the two films comes amidst a volatile period for the box office. While the industry experienced a record-breaking summer in 2026 with domestic ticket sales reaching $4.76 billion US, it also saw numerous disappointments such as Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” and “The End of Oak Street,” which failed to attract audiences despite positive reviews and star-studded casts.
Furthermore, films like “The Dog Stars” and Tom Cruise’s “Digger” faced significant losses domestically in their opening weekends, adding to a challenging year for studios like Warner Bros. On the other hand, unconventional genre films like “Obsession,” “Resident Evil,” and “Backrooms” have garnered strong audience interest, indicating a shift towards unique and unexpected content over established franchises.