The MCU dominated the theater space for about a decade. While it has declined, it is less indicative of the franchise and more of the film industry due to the pandemic. While the industry settles with the pandemic, a writers’ strike, and more, the biggest Marvel movies continue to prove themselves, but when ranked among others in box office openings, we have seen mixed results. As we get a new film every few months, it would be interesting to see how the MCU lines up with each entry’s launch.
When looking at the biggest Marvel movies, many factors determine what leads to the more successful films than others. Team-ups are ever popular, with sequels to beloved characters following right behind Avengers movies and other crossovers. Post-Endgame is a different world, but comparing the two gives some insight into how the pandemic-era Multiverse Saga has done when it comes to breaking into the top-performing openings for these behemoth-sized spectacles.
10: Iron Man 3 – $174 million
Iron Man 3 can be divisive for some, especially regarding the twist that revealed the Mandarin was actually an actor named Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsly). People came in not knowing that, and with another round of a standalone story with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), people lined up to see what he was up to. The film opened domestically at $174 million, putting it in the top ten of the MCU. A strong start may not always mean long-run success, but in this case, it does as it earned $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the seventh highest-grossing installment in the franchise.
9: Captain America: Civil War – $179 million
It may have grossed slightly less globally than Iron Man 3 at $1.15 billion, but Captain America: Civil War showed that the pivotal story is one of the MCU shows fans will eat up. Commercially and narratively, Civil War is one of the biggest Marvel movies at the box office to date, regardless of how it is ranked. Teams for Captain America and Iron Man came together to see who was right and who would win in individual fights, bringing in a stellar opening. The film’s weekend launched with $179 million.
8: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – $181 million
Without Chadwick Boseman, the cast and crew of Black Panther had a daunting task for the sequel. We got an emotionally epic film by honoring the late actor and expanding the world of Wakanda. Despite the pandemic, the film outpaced Civil War‘s opening with $181 million. It went off to $859 million worldwide to show Marvel executives that people still want the fictional African city and its people to be on the big screen.
7: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – $187 million
Put Sam Raimi at the helm for a new superhero movie marketed as the first horror film in the MCU. You get one of the biggest Marvel movies at the box office in the pandemic era when ranked among the other post-2019 releases. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cast and crew should be proud of what it accomplished in 2022. It was the highest opening weekend with $187 million. By the end of the year, it ended as the fourth highest-grossing film of the year with $955 million.
6: Avengers: Age of Ultron – $191 million
The sixth-best opening for Marvel happens to be the sixth-highest-grossing film of the MCU. Age of Ultron got people excited to go back to revisit the Avengers for the second time. The film’s launch is the final entry on this list under $200 million with $191 million, showing how much more money these other movies have made.
5: Black Panther – $202 million
A criticism Marvel took on was its lack of diversity. The studio went all in with its cast and crew to make Black Panther the first Black-led film in the MCU. By delivering a rich world, a captivating villain, and giving respect to a community that wanted to be seen, the film made it big-time. The film opened on a weekend that earned the studio $202 million. As of now, it is the biggest standalone film in the MCU, with $1.3 billion.
4: The Avengers – $207.4 million
The Avengers broke new ground and put Marvel into constructing what would be the Infinity Saga. The team-up movie was unlike anything made at that time while showcasing to the world that the MCU was something to recognize. The film’s opening weekend showcased that by grossing $207.4 million. Its opening was the first film for the studio to cross $200 million during its first weekend. Nothing would touch that realm until 2018’s Black Panther.
3: Avengers: Infinity War – $257 million
Infinity War makes one of the biggest jumps between opening weekends at the box office among the most prominent Marvel movies. The first part of the conclusion of the Infinity Saga opened to $257 million and ended its run with $2.05 billion. Films like Infinity War are good reminders of how a film’s release can go above being a movie and be an event to see in a room full of people.
2: Spider-Man: No Way Home – $260 million
The pandemic brought the film industry to a halt, but when things were resuming, it was in the air if anything could reach the billion mark. Of course, it would be Marvel with the help of Spider-Man. The biggest superhero would, of course, make for one of the biggest Marvel movies with No Way Home. The multiversal crossover that saw Spiders and villains from Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s films come together in a single film was a refreshing, eventful moment in the history of cinema after theaters had closed for too long. While it went off to gross $1.9 billion, it started from an opening of $260 million.
1. Avengers: Endgame – $357 million
To be the most successful film in the MCU, the most money earned for an opening weekend is necessary. By having the top ten biggest Marvel movies ranked by their opening weekends, even looking beyond that, Endgame is number one by a significant margin. The film brought in not only tears but money as it grossed $357 million, just above its $356 million budget. Before getting bumped down by Avatar, it held the highest-grossing film slot for a moment to show Marvel’s dominance. Still, at number two, it offers a decade of storytelling that captivated audiences.
