Avengers: Endgame Passes Avatar As Highest-Grossing Movie Ever
Ever since Marvel Studios began their string interconnected films in 2008’s Iron Man, there has seemingly been no ceiling for how much success the company can achieve. Marvel’s April release, Avengers: Endgame, has proven to be the most crowd-pleasing entry of the MCU yet, earning enough at the worldwide box office to become the highest-earning movie of all time; dethroning the previous record holder of 2009’s Avatar.
Having held the record since 2010, James Cameron’s sci-fi epic originally dazzled audiences with its innovative 3D visuals, pulling in an outstanding $2.789 billion USD in worldwide ticket sales. It was only this weekend when Marvel finally slayed the Pandoran beast known as Avatar, Avengers: Endgame topping the reigning total with a current $2.790 billion USD worldwide (via BoxOfficeMojo).
For months, the big question surrounding Avengers: Endgame was whether it had the Infinity Stones to overtake Avatar at the box office. While a record-breaking $300 million opening gave way to an incredibly promising start, the numbers nonetheless continued to drift away in the following weeks, suggesting Marvel’s Infinity finale might just fall short of ultimate glory. Endgame’s recent re-release seems largely responsible for putting the film over the edge, the re-appearance promising exclusive new scenes ahead of the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Upon crossing the unprecedented milestone, Avatar’s James Cameron congratulated Marvel Studios in their epic success, as well as pay tribute to Iron Man in a post on Twitter. In response, Endgame directors The Russo Brothers returned the appreciation, thanking Cameron for his sportsmanship and the filmmaker’s iconic works spanning over the last 30 years. Check out both posts below.
Congratulations, @MarvelStudios! pic.twitter.com/DWZDX0uDVi
— Avatar (@officialavatar) July 22, 2019
To @JimCameron– you’re a monumental reason why we fell in love with film in the first place. Thank you for always inspiring us and opening the world’s eyes to what’s possible. We can’t wait to see where you take us next… pic.twitter.com/nrOqKVjGFa
— Russo Brothers (@Russo_Brothers) July 22, 2019
As of now, Avengers: Endgame is currently enjoying its last legs in theaters, after that heading to digital home media starting July 30th. Marvel Studios’ future plans were previously kept secret, only recently seeing the light of day during San Diego Comic-Con. As for Avatar, the long-brewing second film is set to arrive on December 2021 as the first entry in a five-part saga planned all the way through to 2027.
What do you think? Are you happy Marvel did “whatever it takes” to overtake Avatar, or will Avatar 2 will just take back the record again? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
