Avengers: Endgame reclaims title as highest-grossing film of all time

Explainer

Avengers: Endgame has recaptured its title as the highest-grossing movie of all time, not accounting for inflation, following a recent theatrical re-release.

The Disney title now has a global gross of $2.9255 billion US, narrowly superseding James Cameron's Avatar at $2.9237 billion US.

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This represents the second time the Marvel film has overtaken Avatar at the box office.

"Oel ngati kameie," Cameron shared on X when Endgame first broke his streak in 2019, using a phrase from his film's fictional language. "I see you, Marvel. Congratulations to Avengers: Endgame on becoming the new box-office king."

How did Endgame retake the record?

The shift follows Endgame's recent re-release in theatres, titled Avengers Endgame: Encore, which began on September 25.

The slightly recut version, with four additional minutes of end-credits scenes, debuted to $86 million US at the global box office in its opening weekend, according to parent company Disney.

That included $26 million US from the domestic market.

Its latest run added another $4.4 million domestically and $14.4 million internationally in its second weekend, according to Just Jared.

Overall, the re-release has generated more than $126 million worldwide, including $36.2 million from the domestic market and $89.8 million internationally, pushing the film's lifetime total past Avatar's.

What is the history of this box office rivalry?

Avatar spent nearly a decade as the biggest film ever after its 2009 release, holding the record for roughly ten years.

Avengers: Endgame first overtook it in 2019 during its original theatrical run.

Avatar reclaimed the No. 1 position after a 2021 re-release in China, which catapulted its gross to over $2.8 billion US.

Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo then took to social media to congratulate Cameron, writing in a post, "Passing the gauntlet back to you."

The latest flip-flop means the global crown has now changed hands between the two films multiple times, with both relying on returning to theatres to strengthen their lifetime grosses.

Avatar's ascendance was shocking, surging to the top spot in 2010 after just 39 days in theatres.

Why was Endgame re-released now?

Disney and Marvel reissued the film as an anticipatory tee-up to Avengers: Doomsday, the next team-up film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, due for release on December 18.

The re-release is a chance for the MCU to recapture the cultural zeitgeist after disappointing recent entries like Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World, whose new leading characters failed to capture audience interest.

Marvel is reuniting nearly every superhero for Doomsday for the first time since Endgame.

The turnout has theater owners buzzing for "Doomsday," which is expected to be one of the year's biggest movies, according to Variety.

The new theatrical version includes four additional end-credits scenes featuring footage connected to Doomsday.

The film will reintroduce a number of familiar faces, including stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.

Robert Downey Jr. will appear in his new Marvel role as Doctor Doom.

What does this mean for Disney and the MCU?

Disney owns both films, as it acquired 20th Century Fox, Avatar's original studio, in 2019.

The company is responsible for seven of the 10 highest-grossing movies, including "Avatar: The Way of Water" ($2.33 billion), "Titanic" ($2.26 billion) and "Avengers: Infinity War" ($2.05 billion).

The achievement gives the Marvel Cinematic Universe another box-office milestone.

Disney said the studio's 38 theatrical releases have collectively crossed $35 billion worldwide, making the MCU the highest-grossing film franchise in history.

After this summer’s juggernaut "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" climbed to $2.5 billion and counting, the sprawling property has generated a combined $35.07 billion across all movies.

The record is based on unadjusted worldwide grosses, meaning it does not account for inflation or differences in ticket prices across decades.

The title is therefore about the raw amount earned at the global box office rather than the number of tickets sold.

Cameron had individually held the record since 1998, when Titanic became the all-time highest-grossing film, reaching $1.84 billion US.

The latest milestone comes at an unpredictable time for the box office.

Hollywood had its best summer on record this year, posting $4.76 billion US in domestic ticket sales, according to analytics firm Rentrak.

But it came along with a slew of poor performers, like Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day and the dinosaur flick The End of Oak Street.

Tom Cruise's Digger opened with a shocking $8 million US domestically against a reported budget of up to $180 million US.

Anthony and Joe Russo returned to direct "Avengers: Doomsday," the 39th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which hits theatres on December 18.

With files from CBC News, Cinema Express and Just Jared