Unlock the ultimate list! See how all 30 MCU films stack up in the box office rankings. Surprises and showdowns await. Dive in now!
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been a financial success for Marvel Studios for the past 15 years.
The series has the title of the largest comic book movie franchise ever, and at 30 films, it also ranks as the largest movie franchise of all time.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is projected to have a substantial payout at the box office, adding to the almost $30 billion the MCU has made throughout its cinematic ventures in its decade-and-a-half run so far.
Now that Ant-Man 3 is on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at how the MCU’s previous films have fared financially.
30. INCREDIBLE HULK
GLOBAL REVENUE: $265.5 MILLION
BUDGET: $137,500,000
The Incredible Hulk, the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is now ranked dead last. With a box office gross of slightly over $260 million, the picture is widely considered a failure for Marvel Studios and the Hulk franchise.
The 2008 film was released at the infancy of the MCU, just six weeks after the massive success of Iron Man. The Incredible Hulk lands at number 30 on the list due to its jarringly non-MCU tone and poor, unsatisfactory story.
29. CAPTAIN AMERICA—THE FIRST AVENGER
GLOBAL REVENUE: $370.5 MILLION
BUDGET: $140 MILLION
Captain America: The First Avenger is the next movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it is also an origin story from Phase 1. A third of a billion dollars was made at the box office from Chris Evans’ World War II adventure, while only having a budget of $140 million.
The First Avenger’s poor ranking is likely attributable to audiences’ lack of knowledge with the character and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole in 2011. (aside from the Iron Man movies).
28. BLACK WIDOW
GLOBAL REVENUE: $379.7 MILLION
BUDGET: $200 MILLION
Black Widow kicks off a streak of movies on this list that debuted under extraordinary circumstances. The pressure of becoming the first Marvel Studios picture released during the COVID-19 epidemic weighed heavily on Scarlett Johansson’s debut solo story for her MCU hero.
Box office receipts came in at slightly under $380 million, as many audiences were still wary about returning to the theatres. Though it had a groundbreaking hybrid release in theatres and on home video, Black Widow ultimately underperformed financially due to its many delays.
27. ETERNALS
GLOBAL REVENUE: $401.7 MILLION
BUDGET: $200 MILLION
Another mid-pandemic release came in November 2021 with Chloé Zhao’s Eternals. The film grossed a little over $400 million at the box office, and while the movie came amid COVID-19 concerns, audience hesitancy (at least stateside) was nowhere near where it was for Black Widow or even Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
That is why this movie can be seen as a disappointment at least from a numbers perspective. It should have been Marvel Studios’ big return to the big screen, yet due to dismal reviews and weak word of mouth, this film did not hit at the movie theater, raking in the second-worst domestic box office return in MCU history.
26. SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
GLOBAL REVENUE: $432.2 MILLION
BUDGET: $150 MILLION
At 26, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (also known as Shang-Chi) is the most successful film from Marvel Studios’ COVID-19 era (behind only Spider-Man: No Way Home). This movie made $432 million worldwide on a budget of under $150 million, setting a new studio record.
Simu Liu’s Shaun (Shang-Chi) is introduced to the world as he rediscovers his Chinese roots and trains to become a Marvel superhero. Although Shang-return Chi’s is nothing to be embarrassed of, given the circumstances, it did not earn as much as the previous MCU films because it was another origin narrative.
25. THOR
GLOBAL REVENUE: $449.3 MILLION
BUDGET: $150 MILLION
While Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of Thor will eventually lead to huge box office successes, 2011’s Thor represents a low moment (at least monetarily).
Yet, similar to Captain America: The First Avenger before it, this is probably attributable to the film being a part of Phase 1. As Hemsworth’s Asgardian wouldn’t have the same box office cache as someone like Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man until after a few more appearances, Thor was a relatively obscure hero until his Marvel Studios debut.
24. ANT-MAN
GLOBAL REVENUE: $518.8 MILLION
BUDGET: $130 MILLION
Ant-Man, directed by Peyton Reed and starring Paul Rudd, has become the first picture on this list to gross over $500 million. Months after audiences saw Joss Whedon’s Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron, this Phase 2-ender was released, bringing in an estimated $103 million in profit for Marvel Studios.
The comedy was enjoyable, but it failed to match the box office success of Marvel Studios’ other offerings at the time. Reasons for this could include the film serving as a “palate cleanser” after the success of the Avengers sequel and the presence of a hero who was previously unfamiliar to most viewers. And that would set a precedent for Ant-average Man’s movie office returns, something Quantumania should be able to reverse.
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23. IRON-MAN
GLOBAL REVENUE: $585.1 MILLION
BUDGET: $186 MILLION
On May of 2008, Jon Favreau kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the release of Iron Man. The Marvel Studios debut opened to the third largest opening of 2008 and the eleventh largest opening weekend of all time (behind Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Dark Knight).
As a proof of concept, Iron Man was a huge success at the box office. Box office receipts for the picture were $585 million, and it launched a franchise that is still going strong today. Without Iron Man’s commercial success, Marvel Studios would not be able to keep operating.
22. IRON-MAN 2
GLOBAL REVENUE: $621.1 MILLION
BUDGET: $170 MILLION
Iron Man 2 has made $40 million more than the first film in the series. The first Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel set the tone for the franchise, generating rising box office receipts that would continue (with some dips) until the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020.
In addition to reuniting Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, and Gwyneth Paltrow for more Marvel action, the film also marked the first on-screen appearance of Marvel Cinematic Universe staple Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson). In 2010, it was a huge success, earning the fifth-highest opening weekend of all time.
21. ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
GLOBAL REVENUE: $623.1 MILLION
BUDGET: $130 MILLION
When compared to the original, Ant-Man and the Wasp is clearly a superior film from Marvel Studios. Ant-Man followed in the footsteps of Age of Ultron, but Ant-Man and the Wasp had the much more daunting challenge of following in the footsteps of Avengers: Infinity War.
Although it made over $600 million worldwide, the sequel starring Paul Rudd was in a tough spot because it took place before The Snap shown at the end of Infinity War and featured a hero who remained one of Marvel’s B-listers. Hence, Ant-Man and the Wasp was not as successful at the box office as some of its Marvel counterparts, despite grossing over $500 million worldwide.
20. THOR: THE DARK WORLD
GLOBAL REVENUE: $644.60 MILLION
BUDGET: $150 MILLION
Thor: The Dark World, while being one of the MCU’s least beloved entries (just check out The Direct’s official rankings), nonetheless managed to gross $644 million worldwide. Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, and Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman, fought the wicked Dark Elves in this 2013 Marvel Cinematic Universe epic.
The Dark World, which received mostly negative reviews, earned more money globally in just 19 days than Thor did in his whole run, and it stayed at the top of the box office for two weeks before being replaced by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
19. DOCTOR STRANGE
GLOBAL REVENUE: $676.3 MILLION
BUDGET: $165 MILLION
Doctor Strange is ranked number 19 here. Audiences were first exposed to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Stephen Strange in the Scott Derrickson-directed origin narrative. Doctor Strange made over $676 million at the worldwide box office, making it the highest grossing picture introducing a single character in the MCU (to that point), and a profit of over $122 million for Marvel Studios.
Although though Doctor Strange only made $232.6 million in the United States, movie was a huge success in other countries. The film held the number one spot at the box office for three consecutive weeks in some countries, including Russia and Hong Kong. And in those countries, including India, Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, it became the MCU’s highest-grossing film to that point.
18. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
GLOBAL REVENUE: $714.4 MILLION
BUDGET: $170 MILLION
When Captain America: The Winter Soldier surpassed $700 million at the box office in April 2014, it became the first film in the MCU to do so on its own. Box office-wise, the sequel to The First Avenger ranks as the 18th largest Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
Overall, the film grossed $454.7 million, with $259.8 million coming from North America. After accounting for marketing and other costs, Marvel Studios made a profit of $166.2 million on the film, placing it at number nine on Deadline’s 2014 list of the “Most Valuable Blockbusters of All Time.”
17. THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER
GLOBAL REVENUE: $760.9 MILLION
BUDGET: $250 MILLION
The newest adventure featuring Thor ranks nicely at number seventeen. Thor: Love and Thunder earned $760.9 million at the box office, surpassing the earnings of similarly-themed films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The Taika Waititi-helmed comedy was met with mixed reviews from critics. Love and Thunder probably didn’t rise any farther on this list because to that and the current box office recovery the industry is seeing as customers head back to the cinema after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
16. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
GLOBAL REVENUE: $770.8 MILLION
BUDGET: $170 MILLION
Guardians of the Galaxy was without a doubt Marvel’s most successful Phase 2 film after Avengers: Age of Ultron. James Gunn’s first film as a director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe grossed over $770 million worldwide and made a profit of $204.2 million for Marvel Studios, per Deadline.
While the MCU established its reputation by bringing attention to underappreciated comic book characters, Guardians of the Galaxy took this tenfold by elevating a squad of Marvel’s lowest-profile characters into household names. While the previous MCU films were excellent, Guardians of the Galaxy demonstrated that the studio could do anything and still make a profit.
15. BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
BOX OFFICE: $858.1 MILLION
BUDGET: $250 MILLION
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the most recent title to be added to this collection. Director Ryan Coogler and company paid respect to the late Chadwick Boseman, who starred in the Black Panther saga, in one of the most highly awaited Marvel Cinematic Universe films of all time.
Wakanda Forever had the third largest opening of the pandemic period and broke records as the most successful female-led superhero film ever in the United States.
14. THOR: RAGNAROK
BOX OFFICE: $850,4 MILLION
BUDGET: $180 MILLION
Taika Waititi’s introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a departure for the Thor films, but it was well worth it. When it was released to theatres in the fall of 2017, Thor: Ragnarok earned $850.5 million worldwide. After expenses, the film had a profit of $174.2 million.
This is the most successful Thor picture to date, and it was met with universal acclaim upon its debut. In its initial weekend of release, it surpassed the earnings of Doctor Strange, another Marvel Cinematic Universe alum, who held the previous record for a November debut.
13. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
BOX OFFICE: $869 MILLION
BUDGET: $200 MILLION
The second installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy series was another Marvel Cinematic Universe film that surpassed the success of its predecessor. The sequel, directed by James Gunn and produced by Marvel Studios, was funnier, had more Guardians, and had better music than the previous picture.
At least it was successful at the entrance. Total box office for the film was $869 million, with a profit for Marvel Studios of $174.2 million. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 coming out in May, Kevin Feige and company will no doubt aim to add to the franchise’s already substantial box office success.
12. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
BOX OFFICE: $878.2 MILLION
BUDGET: $175 MILLION
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the first film to be included from the MCU’s most successful solo franchise. There are three wall-crawling adventures from Marvel Studios on this list, with Homecoming having the highest gross at $878.3 million.
Homecoming rode the popularity of one of the most well-known comic book characters, Spider-Man, despite the fact that it was starring a relatively unknown actor in Tom Holland. Both Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios made a stunning $200.1 million off of the film. Being the highest-grossing film of a year full of fantastic superhero films (including Thor: Ragnarok and Wonder Woman), Homecoming sowed the seeds for what would eventually become the cash cow that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man series.
11. DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
BOX OFFICE: $952,2 MILLION
BUDGET: $200 MILLION
Marvel Studios’ return to the film office was further cemented with the success of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After declining in 2021 due to the COVID-19 epidemic, box office receipts for the second Doctor Strange film nearly doubled to under $1 billion that following year.
The film’s premiere weekend was the ninth largest of all time and the best ever for an IMAX release in the month of May. Even though Multiverse of Madness had a great opening weekend, it failed to break the $1 billion mark because of a sharp decline in ticket sales.
10. CAPTAIN MARVEL
BOX OFFICE: $1.12 BILLION
BUDGET: $175 MILLION
The year 2019’s Captain Marvel opens this list of the top 10. Brie Larson’s Marvel Cinematic Universe debut was met with mixed reviews, but it was a financial smash, grossing $1.13 billion throughout the world.
The picture had the sixth largest opening weekend of all time, and it was the largest opening weekend for a movie with a female lead. Captain Marvel was a huge financial success for Marvel Studios, bringing in $414 million on the heels of the success of Avengers: Infinity War and setting the stage for the even greater success of Avengers: Endgame.
09. SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME
BOX OFFICE: $1.13 BILLION
BUDGET: $160 MILLION
Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios’ second MCU collaboration was even more successful than their first, following the smash hit of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Audiences were still suffering from the events of Avengers: Endgame when Spider-Man: Far From Home was released, so the sequel was an appropriate conclusion to the Infinity Saga.
Far From Home earned an incredible $1.13 billion, finishing with only $2.5 million more money at the box office than Captain Marvel. According to Deadline, Sony and Marvel made $339 million off of the wall-crawling epic, further solidifying Tom Holland’s and Marvel’s webhead’s star power.
08. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
BOX OFFICE: $1.15 BILLION
BUDGET: $250 MILLION
Captain America: Civil War is the first major crossover to appear on this list. This third installment in the Captain America series easily outgrossed both the first two films in the series, The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier.
Civil War made $1.51 billion at the global box office, making Marvel $193 million in profit and outdoing the entire theatrical run of The Winter Soldier in just four days. This film’s incredible popularity can be attributed in part to the fact that it featured an ensemble cast on par with the Avengers. With its box office earnings, the film proved it was essentially Avengers: 2.5.
07. IRON-MAN 3
BOX OFFICE: $1.21 BILLION
BUDGET: $200 MILLION
In 2013, the final installment of the Iron Man trilogy earned the highest gross of Robert Downey Jr.’s solo film series. On a budget of only $200 million, Iron Man 3 grossed nearly $1.2 billion around the world.
Iron Man 3’s massive box office success was expected, given the film’s proximity to The Avengers in the MCU timeline. This trend continued until the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Fans all across the world were delighted by what was ultimately Tony Stark’s final solo voyage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
06. BLACK PANTHER
BOX OFFICE: $1.33 BILLION
BUDGET: $200 MILLION
Black Panther may not have been the highest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it was certainly a landmark moment in pop culture. At the box office, people were introduced to Wakanda for the first time, and they responded by spending $1.34 billion. The 2018 release was just months ahead of the release of Avengers: Infinity War, and it netted Marvel Studios $476.8 million after expenses.
Black Panther earned the most money of any superhero film ever made, was the third highest grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe film, and was the largest film ever made by a Black director when it closed its theatrical run. Black Panther proved that Marvel Studios is not finished telling its super-powered story even after a decade of MCU films.
05. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
BOX OFFICE: $1.403 BILLION
BUDGET: $365 MILLION
The Avengers: Age of Ultron is one of four Avengers flicks and the fifth best of all time. With its $1.403 billion worldwide total, the 2015 Avengers sequel quickly surpassed Iron Man 3 as the franchise’s most successful picture to date (a record that would stand until 2018).
With new characters like Paul Bettany’s Vision and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the superhero team-up flick raked in $382 million in profits for Disney and Marvel. Even though Age of Ultron would be Joss Whedon’s last film for Marvel Studios, he went out on top by making the seventh most grossing film of all time.
04. THE AVENGERS
BOX OFFICE: $1.51 BILLION
BUDGET: $225 MILLION
From a financial standpoint, the MCU can be roughly divided into two eras: before and after The Avengers. The first Marvel Studios movie to include an ensemble cast assembled many of the franchise’s most popular characters into one film, producing a comic book extravaganza that audiences could only have imagined before.
The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, made over $1.5 billion worldwide, breaking the previous series record (it has since been knocked down to 10th). Although Marvel has enjoyed success before to Avengers, that film established the series’ long-term viability.
03. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
BOX OFFICE: $1.91 BILLION
BUDGET: $200 MILLION
While it was released in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, Spider-Man: No Way Home became a box office smash on par with very few other films. With a staggering $1.91 billion in box office earnings in December 2021, the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spiderman trilogy sequel sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry even as COVID-19 cases skyrocketed over the world.
The picture was an accomplishment both in and out of the screen, bringing together 20 years of Marvel’s web-slinging hero on the big screen and earning the amount of money it did despite the film’s rocky premiere. It’s tough to say how much COVID-19 actually lowered No Way Home’s final box office take, but it’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which it would have been the highest-grossing film here (and maybe ever).
02. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
BOX OFFICE: $2.05 BILLION
BUDGET: $325-$400 MILLION
The release of Avengers: Infinity War (and its subsequent sequel) was a big deal for moviegoers. The first installment of the conclusion to the Infinity Saga, starring Josh Brolin as Thanos, became the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to gross over $2 billion.
The Russo Brothers established themselves as capable directors with The Winter Soldier and Civil War, and they reached new heights with Infinity War. Deadline stated that “Disney [walked] away with a half-billion in profit” from the film, despite the film’s large $325-$400 million budget, after factoring in marketing and other expenses. It was so popular that it was eventually surpassed by a sequel.
01. AVENGERS: ENDGAME
BOX OFFICE: $2.79 BILLION
BUDGET: $400 MILLION
The events in Stages 1-3 serve as a prelude to the final showdown in Endgame. As of right now, Avengers: Endgame is still the highest grossing film in the MCU and the second highest grossing film of all time.
The unofficial conclusion to the Infinity Saga earned $2.79 billion worldwide and was the highest grossing film of all time until James Cameron’s re-release of Avatar in late 2018. The film’s budget of $400 million was the most in the MCU to date, and it still earned Marvel Studios and Disney around $890 million.
Endgame established a new benchmark for the MCU and for blockbuster filmmaking generally; only subsequent films in the franchise, such as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, came close to matching its quality.
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