Marvel Studios’ MCU has grown to be a box office titan over the past 15 years.
Not only does it claim to be the biggest comic book film franchise ever, but the entire 30-picture series also holds the record for the most significant cinematic franchise ever.
The MCU has made around $30 billion from its theatrical releases thus far in its decade-and-a-half run, and it shows no signs of slowing down with the upcoming Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania anticipated to have a sizable box office haul.
Here is the MCU ranked by box office results up to this point, with Ant-Man 3 coming soon.
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30. The Incredible Hulk
Worldwide gross: $265,573,859
Budget: $137,500,000
The Incredible Hulk, the second MCU movie, remains firmly seated in the last position. The movie, which earned just over $260 million at the box office, is generally regarded as a failure for the franchise and remains the Hulk’s sole solo Marvel Studios production (at least for the time being).
This 2008 film debuted during the MCU’s formative years, only six weeks after the blockbuster Iron Man. The Incredible Hulk ranks number 30 on the list due to its jarringly non-MCU tone and underwhelming/disappointing plot.
29. Captain America: The First Avenger
Worldwide gross: $370,569,776
Budget: $140,000,000
Captain America: The First Avenger is the next entry in the Phase 1 origin narrative list. On a meager $140 million budget, Chris Evans’ World War II adventure brought in a third of a billion dollars at the box office.
The First Avenger had a low box office performance compared to the other Captain America movies since consumers were less familiar with this character and the MCU as a whole in 2011. (aside from the Iron Man movies).
28. Black Widow
Worldwide gross: $379,751,131
Budget: $200,000,000
Black Widow is the first movie on this list that came out in unusual circumstances. The responsibility of being the first Marvel Studios film to be released during the COVID-19 pandemic was placed on Scarlett Johansson’s debut solo story for her MCU hero.
As many viewers were still hesitant to return to the movies, the movie made slightly under $380 million at the box office. After numerous setbacks and an innovative hybrid distribution in cinemas and at home, Black Widow’s commercial performance finally suffered.
27. Eternals
Worldwide gross: $401,731,759
Budget: $200,000,000
The mid-pandemic novel Eternals by Chloé Zhao was released in November 2021. The movie made just over $400 million at the box office, and despite COVID-19 worries, there was little to no public reluctance (at least in the United States) compared to Black Widow or even Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Because of this, this movie can be viewed as disappointing, at least from the standpoint of the numbers. It was supposed to be Marvel Studios’ triumphant return to the big screen, but due to poor word of mouth and unfavorable reviews, this movie bombed at the box office, earning the second-worst domestic box office haul in MCU history.
26. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Worldwide gross: $432,224,634
Budget: $150,000,000
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, also known as COVID-19, is the most major success of Marvel Studios’ COVID-19 era (apart from the blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home), and it is 26 years old. With a $150 million budget, this movie smashed all previous records for the studio, grossing $432 million.
introducing Shaun (Shang-Chi), played by Simu Liu, as he rediscovered his family’s history and evolved into a Marvel superhero. Shang-Chi, another origin story, did not enjoy the massive box office success of some of the other MCU movies, but its return is still nothing to be embarrassed by, especially when you take into account the exceptional circumstances.
25. Thor
Worldwide gross: $449,326,618
Budget: $150,000,000
Thor from 2011 is a low point (at least monetarily) for Chris Hemsworth‘s God of Thunder, even if later Thor movies would go on to be huge box office hits.
However, this can probably be ascribed to the movie being a Phase 1 picture, similar to Captain America: The First Avenger before it. It would take a few appearances for Hemsworth‘s Asgardian to achieve the same box office cache as someone like Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man because Thor was a relatively obscure hero upon making his Marvel Studios debut.
24. Ant-Man
Worldwide gross: $518,858,449
Budget: $130,000,000
Ant-Man, starring Paul Rudd and Peyton Reed, becomes the first movie on this list to surpass $500 million in sales. This Phase 2-closing film was released only a few months after the world watched Joss Whedon’s Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron, which reportedly made Marvel Studios $103 million.
It was a good comedy, but it didn’t have the same box office success as other movies from the Marvel Studios at the time. This might be explained by the fact that it served as a “palate cleanser” after the Avengers sequel, which introduced a new hero to the audience. And that would begin a pattern of Ant-Man‘s mediocre box office earnings, which Quantumania, let’s hope, will buck.
23. Iron Man
Worldwide gross: $585,171,547
Budget: $186,000,000
Jon Favreau’s Iron Man gave the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) a strong start in May 2008. The Marvel Studios debut opened to the third-largest opening weekend of 2008 and the 11th-biggest opening weekend of all time (at the time) (behind Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Dark Knight).
A proof of concept, Iron Man was a hit with moviegoers. The movie earned $585 million at the box office and gave rise to a vast cinematic world that continues to this day. Without Iron Man’s commercial success, the Marvel Cinematic Universe would not exist.
22. Iron Man 2
Worldwide gross: $621,156,389
Budget: $170,000,000
Iron Man 2 surpasses its predecessor by $40 million. The first MCU sequel served as the franchise’s first preview of things to come, ushering in a period of constant box-office growth (despite brief dips) until the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020.
Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, and Gwyneth Paltrow all appeared in the film for more Marvel action, and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow was introduced as a major MCU figure (played by Scarlett Johansson). Back in 2010, it was a huge hit and held the record for the fifth-highest opening weekend ever.
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp
Worldwide gross: $623,144,660
Budget: $130,000,000
Another sequel from the Marvel Studios that excelled above its predecessor is Ant-Man and the Wasp. While Age of Ultron was immediately followed by Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp had the considerably more difficult challenge of doing the same for Avengers: Infinity War.
The Paul Rudd-starring sequel, which made over $600 million at the box office worldwide, was in a tough spot because it began before the events of Infinity War and once more featured a character that was still considered one of Marvel’s B-listers. Therefore, although grossing over $500 million globally, Ant-Man and the Wasp was not the financial success that some of its Marvel contemporaries have been.
20. Thor: The Dark World
Worldwide gross: $644,602,516
Budget: $150,000,000
Thor: The Dark World earned a respectable $644 million at the worldwide box office despite being one of the MCU’s most criticized films to date (just take a look at The Direct’s official rankings). Thor and Jane Foster battled the evil Dark Elves in this 2013 MCU epic, which starred Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster.
Despite generally negative reviews, The Dark World outperformed Thor’s entire global box office haul in just 19 days and held the top spot for two weeks before being toppled by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
19. Doctor Strange
Worldwide gross: $676,343,174
Budget: $165,000,000
Doctor Strange is number 19 on this list. The Stephen Strange origin narrative, which was helmed by Scott Derrickson, introduced viewers to Benedict Cumberbatch’s excellent doctor. Doctor Strange brought in nearly $676 million worldwide, making it the greatest single-character introduction movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to that date. It also brought in $122 million for Marvel.
Even though the movie only made a respectable $232.6 million domestically, Doctor Strange was a huge success abroad. The movie held the top spot at the box office for three weeks in a number of nations, including Hong Kong and Russia. And in countries like India, Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, it became the most popular MCU film to that point.
18. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Worldwide gross: $714,401,889
Budget: $170,000,000
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the first MCU solo film to surpass the $700 million mark back in April 2014. From a box office standpoint, the First Avengers sequel ranks as the 18th biggest MCU film and is largely responsible for the franchise’s recent run of successes.
The film brought in $259.8 million in North America and $454.7 million abroad. The film earned Marvel Studios a profit of $166.2 million after deducting marketing and other costs, placing it tenth on Deadline’s 2014 list of the “Most Valuable Blockbusters Of All Time.”
17. Thor: Love and Thunder
Worldwide gross: $760,928,081
Budget: $250,000,000
The seventeenth entry on this list, Thor’s most recent journey, is happily occupied. Thor: Love and Thunder did make $760.9 million, but it didn’t match the box office success of movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that were released in its immediate vicinity.
When it was released, the Taika Waititi-directed film received mediocre reviews. It is likely because of this and the ongoing box office recovery the industry is seeing as people return to the movies after the COVID-19 pandemic’s peak that Love and Thunder did not place even higher on this list.
16. Guardians of the Galaxy
Worldwide gross: $770,882,395
Budget: $170,000,000
Guardians of the Galaxy was undoubtedly the biggest Marvel film of Phase 2 that wasn’t Avengers: Age of Ultron. According to Deadline, James Gunn’s MCU directing debut brought in over $770 million worldwide and generated a profit of $204.2 million for Marvel Studios.
While the MCU has built its reputation on highlighting lesser-known comic book characters, Guardians elevated that to a whole new level by popularising a group of D-list Marvel characters. Even though everything that came before Guardians of the Galaxy was fantastic, this film showed that the MCU could attempt almost anything and still turn a profit.
15. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Worldwide gross: $830,323,878
Budget: Not Available Yet
Wakanda Forever, the most recent entry on this list, is Black Panther. One of the most eagerly awaited MCU films ever, the Black Panther sequel honored their late colleague and series star Chadwick Boseman while also advancing the tale of Wakanda. The film was directed by Ryan Coogler.
Wakanda Forever was the third-largest opening of the pandemic era and was a smashing success, becoming the biggest female-led superhero movie ever domestically.
14. Thor: Ragnarok
Worldwide gross: $850,482,778
Budget: $180,000,000
Although Taika Waititi’s MCU debut was a little bit of a departure from the Thor series, it was well worth the risk. Thor: Ragnarok debuted in theatres in the fall of 2017, earning $850.5 million in worldwide box office revenue and $174.2 million in net profit.
The movie received positive reviews after its debut, making it the most lucrative Thor film to date. At the time of its release, it set a record for the most successful November opening weekend ever, breaking it for Doctor Strange, an MCU alum.
13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Worldwide gross: $869,087,963
Budget: $200,000,000
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was another MCU sequel that surpassed its already wildly successful predecessor. With more comedy, more Guardians, and more head-banging music to rock out to, James Gunn’s second Marvel Studios picture upped the ante from the first one.
And, at least at the ticket window, it was effective. The movie earned $869 million during its theatrical run, and Marvel Studios ended up making a profit of $174.2 million overall. And with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 coming out in May, Kevin Feige and the company will undoubtedly try to increase the box office success the Guardians name has brought them for the past nine years.
12. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Worldwide gross: $878,271,291
Budget: $175,000,000
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the first entry from the most popular standalone franchise in the MCU. The three wall-crawling motion pictures from Marvel Studios are all among the top 12 on this chart, with Homecoming earning $878.3 million globally.
Homecoming rode the high of one of the most well-known characters in comic books, Spider-Man, in spite of having a relatively unknown actor in Tom Holland. Sony Pictures and Marvel made a staggering $200.1 million off of the movie. Homecoming outperformed films like Thor: Ragnarok and Wonder Woman at the box office in a year that was full of fantastic superhero flicks, and it gave birth to the MCU Spider-Man franchise, which has become a major source of income.
11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Worldwide gross: $952,224,986
Budget: $200,000,000
Another indication that the box office had returned came in the form of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for Marvel Studios. Following a period of stagnation due to the COVID-19 epidemic, business picked back up in 2022 with the success of the Doctor Strange sequel, which brought in just under $1 billion.
The opening weekend of the movie ranked ninth in terms of opening weekends overall and set a record for the best May launch for an IMAX movie. The multiverse of Madness, however, did not have the staying power of several other MCU films due to a swift decline in ticket sales following a high opening; this is most likely why the movie fell short of the $1 billion threshold.
10. Captain Marvel
Worldwide gross: $1,129,576,094
Budget: $175,000,000
The top entry on this list is Captain Marvel from 2019. Despite receiving mixed reviews, Brie Larson’s MCU debut did exceptionally well at the box office, grossing $1.13 billion globally.
The movie had the sixth-largest opening weekend of all time (at the time) and the biggest opening weekend for a female-led movie in history. Captain Marvel, which brought in $414 million for Marvel Studios after riding the wave of Avengers: Infinity War and setting up the titanic Avengers: Endgame, was a huge hit.
9. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Worldwide gross: $1,132,107,522
Budget: $160,000,000
The second MCU collaboration between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios was even more successful than the first after hitting gold with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Because Avengers: Endgame, which came just months before the Spider-Man sequel, left audiences in a state of shock, Spider-Man: Far From Home was an appropriate ending for the Infinity Saga.
Far From Home earned a staggering $1.13 billion at the box office, only $2.5 million more than Captain Marvel‘s final box office haul. According to Deadline, the wall-climbing epic made $339 million for Sony and Marvel, greatly enhancing Tom Holland‘s and Marvel’s webhead’s star power.
8. Captain America: Civil War
Worldwide gross: $1,151,899,586
Budget: $250,000,000
Captain America: Civil War is the first significant team-up on this list to air. The relative box gross successes of The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier were completely eclipsed by this Captain America-focused threequel.
Civil War outperformed The Winter Soldier’s entire theatrical run in just four days, grossing $1.51 billion worldwide, earning Marvel $193 million in profit. The Avengers-caliber cast of this film contributed to its enormous success. The movie was essentially Avengers 2.5, and the box office performance supported this claim.
7. Iron Man 3
Worldwide gross: $1,215,392,272
Budget: $200,000,000
The Iron Man trilogy‘s appropriate conclusion in 2013 was the highest box office performance for Robert Downey Jr.’s solo series of movies. On a $200 million budget, Iron Man 3 generated worldwide sales of almost $1.2 billion.
It only made sense that, up until Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man 3 held the second-largest box office total in MCU history, coming hot on the heels of The Avengers. Although it wasn’t the end for Marvel Studios’ Tony Stark, it was the franchise’s final solo adventure featuring this hero, and people all over the world loved it.
6. Black Panther
Worldwide gross: $1,336,494,320
Budget: $200,000,000
Black Panther may have outperformed five other movies in terms of box office revenue, but nothing else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet to match the cultural phenomenon that Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster became. As viewers were welcomed into the world of Wakanda for the first time on the big screen, the film brought in $1.34 billion worldwide. The 2018 movie was released just a few months before Avengers: Infinity War, and after deducting marketing and other expenses, it brought in $476.8 million for Marvel Studios.
Black Panther was the third-highest-grossing MCU film at the end of its theatrical run, the highest-grossing solo superhero film ever, and the most successful movie ever made by a Black director. Black Panther was more evidence that Marvel Studios was still telling its super-powered story after ten years of the MCU.
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Worldwide gross: $1,395,316,979
Budget: $365,000,000
Avengers: Age of Ultron, is one of four Avengers movies that make up the top five on this list. The 2015 Avengers sequel earned $1.39 billion globally, ranking second among all Marvel Cinematic Universe movies at the time of release (a record that would stand until 2018).
Disney and Marvel made $382 million from the superhero team-up movie, which included characters like Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany’s Vision making their MCU debuts. Joss Whedon’s tenure with Marvel Studios will come to an end with Age of Ultron, but he did so in style by creating the seventh-highest-grossing film in history.
4. The Avengers
Worldwide gross: $1,515,100,211
Budget: $225,000,000
There was the MCU before The Avengers and there was the MCU after The Avengers, at least in terms of the box office. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes came together for the first time in a Marvel Studios collaboration, resulting in a comic book spectacle that had previously only been imagined.
The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, earned over $1.5 billion at the box office, setting a new record for the series and ranking third among all movies ever released (it has since been knocked down to 10th). Although Marvel enjoyed popularity prior to Avengers, the super-powered epic showed that the series had truly arrived.
3. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Worldwide gross: $1,910,048,245
Budget: $200,000,000
Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the few films to ever reach the same level of popularity, and it managed to do it in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. In December 2021, the MCU Spidey threequel shocked the moviegoing world with a $1.91 billion box office haul as COVID-19 cases were skyrocketing globally.
The movie was a success on-screen and off, celebrating 20 years of Marvel’s web-slinging hero on the big screen and earning the money it did at the box office in spite of the circumstances surrounding its release. It is difficult to determine how much COVID-19 ultimately affected No Way Home‘s final box office earnings, but it is simple to imagine a scenario in which it might have been the most successful film on this list (and maybe ever).
2. Avengers: Infinity War
Worldwide gross: $2,048,359,754
Budget: $300,000,000
A theatrical event, Avengers: Infinity War (and its direct sequel) was released. As Josh Brolin’s Thanos invaded Earth and captured some of the MCU’s most recognizable heroes, the first installment of the Infinity Saga closer became the first MCU movie to gross over $2 billion worldwide.
The Russo Brothers raised the bar for themselves with Infinity War after establishing themselves with The Winter Soldier and Civil War. Despite having a $300 million budget, Deadline stated that Disney “walked away with a half-billion in profit” from the movie after deducting marketing and other costs. It was a huge success that was only topped by its sequel.
1. Avengers: Endgame
Worldwide gross: $2,794,731,755
Budget: $400,000,000
All routes lead to the Endgame, just as they did during Phases 1-3 of the game. As the largest MCU film to date and the second-biggest movie of all time, Avengers: Endgame continues to hold the record.
The unofficial conclusion to the Infinity Saga brought in $2.79 billion globally, making it the highest-grossing film of all time up until James Cameron’s late-2018 re-release of Avatar. Despite having the easily highest MCU budget ever ($400 million), the film brought in roughly $890 million for Marvel Studios and Disney.
Only Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars could even consider challenging Endgame‘s new benchmark for the MCU and blockbuster filmmaking in general.
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