Over the last 15 years, Marvel Studios' MCU has become a box office juggernaut.
Not only does it tout the title as the biggest comic book movie franchise ever but the series of 30 films also ranks as the biggest movie franchise of all time.
In its decade-and-a-half run thus far, the MCU has raked in nearly $30 billion across its theatrical projects and shows no sign of stopping with the incoming Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania expected to have a hefty payday at the ticket window.
So with Ant-Man 3 on the horizon, here is the MCU ranked by box office returns up to this point.
30.) The Incredible Hulk
Worldwide gross: $265,573,859
- Budget: $137,500,000
Sitting firmly in the last place spot is the second MCU film ever, The Incredible Hulk. The film marks Hulk's only solo Marvel Studios movie (at least for now) and is largely seen as a disappointment for the franchise, bringing in just over $260 million at the box office.
This 2008 movie came out in the early days of the MCU, releasing a mere six weeks after the smash-hit, Iron Man. Because of its jarringly non-MCU tone and lackluster/disappointing story, The Incredible Hulk comes in at 30 on the list.
29.) Captain America: The First Avenger
Worldwide gross: $370,569,776
- Budget: $140,000,000
Next up is another Phase 1 origin story in Captain America: The First Avenger. Chris Evans' World War II adventure garnered a third of a billion dollars at the box office, doing so on a measly $140 million budget.
While the other Captain America films would go on to be massive financial successes, The First Avenger sits so low simply because of the relative unfamiliarity audiences had with this character and the overall MCU back in 2011 (aside from the Iron Man movies).
28.) Black Widow
Worldwide gross: $379,751,131
- Budget: $200,000,000
Starting a string of films on this list that released under unprecedented circumstances is Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson's first solo story for her MCU hero had the burden of being the first Marvel Studios film to release during the COVID-19 pandemic placed upon it.
The film grossed just under $380 million at the box office, as a large swatch of moviegoers were still hesitant to head back to the theaters. After multiple delays and a ground-breaking hybrid release both in theaters and at home, Black Widow ultimately fell a little flat financially.
27.) Eternals
Worldwide gross: $401,731,759
- Budget: $200,000,000
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
Worldwide gross: $432,224,634
- Budget: $150,000,000
At 26 is the most significant success of Marvel Studios' COVID-19 era (aside from the juggernaut known as Spider-Man: No Way Home), aka Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This film broke pandemic records for the studio, making $432 million on a $150 million budget.
Introducing the world to Simu Liu's Shaun (Shang-Chi) as he rediscovered his family heritage and became a Marvel superhero. Being another origin story, Shang-Chi did not rake in the enormous numbers some of the other MCU films have, but its return is still nothing to be ashamed of, especially considering the extenuating circumstances.
25.) Thor
Worldwide gross: $449,326,618
- Budget: $150,000,000
While other Thor films would eventually go on to be resounding box-office successes, 2011's Thor marks a low point (at least financially) for Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder.
However, this - like Captain America: The First Avenger before it - can likely be attributed to the film being a part of Phase 1. Thor was a relatively unknown hero coming into his Marvel Studios debut, so it would take a couple of appearances before Hemsworth's Asgardian would have the same box office cache as someone like Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man.
24.) Ant-Man
Worldwide gross: $518,858,449
- Budget: $130,000,000
Marking the first film on this list to cross the $500 million mark is Peyton Reed and Paul Rudd's Ant-Man. This Phase 2-closer came just months after the world took in Joss Whedon's Avengers follow-up, Age of Ultron, reportedly delivering a $103 million profit for Marvel Studios.
It was a fun comedy but it didn't reach the financial highs of other Marvel Studios films of the time. This could be attributed to it being a bit of a "palate cleanser" after the Avengers sequel, featuring a hero that audiences were not too familiar with. And it would start a trend of middling box office returns for Ant-Man, something Quantumania hopefully will buck.
23.) Iron Man
Worldwide gross: $585,171,547
- Budget: $186,000,000
Back in May 2008, the MCU started off with a bang with Jon Favreau's Iron Man. The Marvel Studios debut was released to the 11th-biggest opening weekend of all time (at the time), and the third biggest opening of 2008 (behind Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Dark Knight).
Iron Man was a proof of concept and moviegoers ate it up. The film brought in $585 million at the box office and spawned an entire cinematic universe that is still going on today. The MCU simply does not exist without the financial success of Iron Man.
22.) Iron Man 2
Worldwide gross: $621,156,389
- Budget: $170,000,000
Jumping $40 million above its predecessor is Iron Man 2. The first MCU sequel was the first sign of what was to come for the franchise, starting a trend of box office growth that (while dipping at points) would grow consistently up until the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
The movie saw Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, and Gwyneth Paltrow all back for more Marvel action, while also introducing MCU icon Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson). It was a massive hit back in 2010 and held the record - at the time - for the fifth-highest opening weekend ever.
21.) Ant-Man and the Wasp
Worldwide gross: $623,144,660
- Budget: $130,000,000
Ant-Man and the Wasp marks another Marvel Studios sequel that outdid its last film. While Ant-Man came hot off the heels of Age of Ultron, Ant-Man and the Wasp had an even loftier task of following the events of Avengers: Infinity War.
While grossing over $600 million at the global box office, the Paul Rudd-starring sequel was put into a hard place, jumping back before The Snap seen at the end of Infinity War and again featuring a hero that remained as one of Marvel's B-listers. So despite making over half a billion worldwide, Ant-Man and the Wasp was not the box office smash some of its Marvel cohorts have been.
20.) Thor: The Dark World
Worldwide gross: $644,602,516
- Budget: $150,000,000
Despite being one of the MCU's most maligned movies to date (just look at The Direct's official rankings), Thor: The Dark World made a respectable $644 million at the global box office. This 2013 MCU epic followed Chris Hemsworth's Thor and Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, as the pair took on the villainous Dark Elves.
Despite relatively dismal reviews across the board, The Dark World surpassed Thor's entire worldwide gross numbers in just 19 days and remained the global box office winner for two weeks before being overtaken by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
19.) Doctor Strange
Worldwide gross: $676,343,174
- Budget: $165,000,000
Coming in at 19 on this list is Doctor Strange. The Scott Derrickson-directed Stephen Strange origin story introduced audiences to Benedict Cumberbatch's good doctor. Making over $676 million at the global box office Doctor Strange became the biggest single-character introduction film in the MCU (up to that point) and netted a $122 million profit for Marvel.
While earning a respectable $232.6 million domestically, Doctor Strange was a massive hit in international markets. In a number of places, including Russia and Hong Kong, the movie remained #1 at the box office for three straight weeks. And it became the biggest MCU movie to that date in India, Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
18.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Worldwide gross: $714,401,889
- Budget: $170,000,000
Back in April 2014, Captain America: The Winter Soldier marked the first MCU solo movie to break the $700 million ceiling. The First Avenger sequel is the 18th biggest MCU movie from a box office perspective, and really kicked off a string of hits for the franchise.
The movie earned $259.8 million in North America and $454.7 million in other territories. With marketing and other expenses accounted for the movie earned Marvel Studios a profit of $166.2 million, earning it the ninth spot on Deadline's 2014 'Most Valuable Blockbusters Of All Time' list.
17.) Thor: Love and Thunder
Worldwide gross: $760,928,081
- Budget: $250,000,000
Thor's latest adventure sits comfortably in the 17th spot on this list. Thor: Love and Thunder did supplant the success of films released around it like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it did rake in $760.9 million.
The Taika Waititi-directed affair garnered middling reviews upon release. That, plus the ongoing box office recovery the industry is seeing as audiences head back to the cinema after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, are likely factors as to why Love and Thunder did not climb even higher up this list.
16.) Guardians of the Galaxy
Worldwide gross: $770,882,395
- Budget: $170,000,000
Easily Marvel's biggest movie of Phase 2 not named Avengers: Age of Ultron was Guardians of the Galaxy. James Gunn's MCU directing debut earned over $770 million worldwide and (according to Deadline) earned a profit of $204.2 million for Marvel Studios.
While the MCU had made its bones on shining the spotlight on lesser-known comic heroes, Guardians took that to a whole new level, taking a team of D-list Marvel characters and making them household names. While everything before Guardians of the Galaxy was great, this movie proved the MCU could do just about anything and have it be profitable.
15.) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Worldwide gross: $830,323,878
- Budget: Not Available Yet
The most recent addition to this list is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Black Panther sequel was one of the most anticipated MCU movies of all time, as director Ryan Coogler and co. paid tribute to their fallen colleague, and franchise star, Chadwick Boseman, while also progressing the story of Wakanda.
Wakanda Forever was a resounding success, becoming the biggest female-led superhero movie ever domestically, and it wound up with third biggest opening of the pandemic era.
14.) Thor: Ragnarok
Worldwide gross: $850,482,778
- Budget: $180,000,000
Taika Waititi's MCU debut was a bit of a departure for the Thor franchise, but it paid off in spades. Thor: Ragnarok hit theater screens back in Fall 2017, pulling a worldwide gross of $850.5 million and a net profit of $174.2 million.
The film was released to critical acclaim, making it the most successful Thor movie to date. At the time of release, it marked the most lucrative November opening weekend of all time, taking the record for MCU alum Doctor Strange.
13.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Worldwide gross: $869,087,963
- Budget: $200,000,000
Another MCU sequel that outclassed its already uber-successful predecessor was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. James Gunn's second Marvel Studios effort upped the ante from the first film, offering up more laughs, more Guardians, and more head-banging tunes to rock out to.
And it worked - at least at the ticket booth. The film made $869 million in its theatrical run with Marvel Studios turning a $174.2 million profit when everything was said and done. And heading into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 this May Kevin Feige and co will surely look to build even more on the box office success the Guardians name has provided for nearly a decade.
12.) Spider-Man: Homecoming
Worldwide gross: $878,271,291
- Budget: $175,000,000
The first inclusion here from the MCU's most successful solo franchise is Spider-Man: Homecoming. All three of Marvel Studios' wall-crawling adventures sit in the top 12 of this list, with Homecoming having raked in $878.3 million worldwide.
Despite starring a relatively unknown actor in Tom Holland, Homecoming rode the high of one of the biggest names in comic books, Spider-Man. The film made Sony Pictures and Marvel a whopping $200.1 million profit. In a year that was packed with amazing superhero movies, Homecoming was the biggest at the ticket window, beating out the likes of Thor: Ragnarok and Wonder Woman, giving birth to what would become the cash cow that is the MCU Spidey franchise.
11.) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Worldwide gross: $952,224,986
- Budget: $200,000,000
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was another sign for Marvel Studios that the box office was officially back. After numbers stagnated over the COVID-19 pandemic, things shot back up again in 2022 with the Doctor Strange sequel making just under $1 billion.
The film's opening marked the ninth biggest opening weekend of all time and marked the highest May debut for an IMAX film ever. However, because of a quick drop in ticket sales after a strong opening, Multiverse of Madness failed to grow the legs of some other MCU projects, and this was likely the reason the film did not cross that $1 billion mark.
10.) Captain Marvel
Worldwide gross: $1,129,576,094
- Budget: $175,000,000
Kicking off the top 10 here is 2019's Captain Marvel. Despite middling reviews, Brie Larson's MCU debut killed it at the ticket window, making $1.13 billion worldwide.
The film marked the biggest worldwide opening weekend for a female-led movie of all time and the (at the time) sixth biggest opening weekend ever. Riding the high of Avengers: Infinity War and teeing up the juggernaut that would be Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel was a massive success for Marvel Studios, netting a profit of $414 million.
9.) Spider-Man: Far From Home
Worldwide gross: $1,132,107,522
- Budget: $160,000,000
After striking gold with Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios' second MCU team-up was even more successful than the first. Spider-Man: Far From Home was a fitting epilogue for the Infinity Saga, as audiences were still reeling from the events of Avengers: Endgame, which debuted mere months before the Spidey sequel.
Far From Home made a whopping $1.13 billion, with its final box office total coming in with just $2.5 million more in revenue than Captain Marvel. According to Deadline, the wall-crawling epic turned a $339 million profit for Sony and Marvel, further cementing the star power of both Tom Holland and Marvel's webhead.
8.) Captain America: Civil War
Worldwide gross: $1,151,899,586
- Budget: $250,000,000
The first big team-up to show on this list is Captain America: Civil War. This Cap-centric threequel took the relative box office success of The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier and blew them out of the water.
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. Part of the reason for this movie's mega-success was its Avengers-level cast. The film was basically Avengers 2.5 and had the box office return to prove it.
7.) Iron Man 3
Worldwide gross: $1,215,392,272
- Budget: $200,000,000
Back in 2013, the Iron Man trilogy came to an end in fitting fashion with the biggest box office return for Robert Downey Jr.'s solo series of films. Iron Man 3 made over $1.2 billion in worldwide gross on a $200 million budget.
Coming hot off the heels of The Avengers, it only made sense that, until Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man 3 held the second-biggest box office haul in MCU history. While not the end for Marvel Studios' Tony Stark, it was the last solo adventure this hero would get in the franchise, and audiences around the world ate it up.
6.) Black Panther
Worldwide gross: $1,336,494,320
- Budget: $200,000,000
While five other films may have made more than Black Panther at the box office, nothing within the MCU has yet to touch the cultural event that Ryan Coogler's blockbuster became. The movie grossed $1.34 billion globally, as audiences were welcomed into the world of Wakanda for the very first time on the big screen. The 2018 film came mere months before Avengers: Infinity War, and after accounting for marketing and other costs, it made Marvel Studios a $476.8 million profit.
At the end of its theatrical run, Black Panther was the highest-grossing solo superhero film ever, the third-highest-grossing MCU movie, and the biggest film by a Black director of all time. After a decade of MCU storytelling, Black Panther was further proof that Marvel Studios was not done telling its super-powered story.
5.) Avengers: Age of Ultron
Worldwide gross: $1,395,316,979
- Budget: $365,000,000
One of four Avengers films rounding out the top five on this list is Avengers: Age of Ultron. The 2015 Avengers sequel grossed $1.39 billion worldwide, becoming the second-biggest MCU film of all-time at the time of release (a record that would stand until 2018).
The costumed team-up film made Disney and Marvel a profit of $382 million, with the likes of Paul Bettany's Vision and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch making their MCU debuts in the sequel. While Age of Ultron would mark the end of Joss Whedon's time with Marvel Studios, the director went out with a bang, putting out what was at the time the seventh-biggest movie in history.
4.) The Avengers
Worldwide gross: $1,515,100,211
- Budget: $225,000,000
From a box office perspective, there was the MCU pre-The Avengers and there was the MCU post-The Avengers. Marvel Studios' first team-up brought together Earth's Mightiest Heroes for the first time on the big screen, creating a comic book spectacle only dreamed of before this movie's release.
Joss Whedon's The Avengers made over $1.5 billion at the box office, setting a new high watermark for the series and becoming the third-biggest film of all-time (it has since been knocked down to 10th). Yes, Marvel had success before Avengers, but the super-powered epic proved that this franchise was officially here to stay.
3.) Spider-Man: No Way Home
Worldwide gross: $1,910,048,245
- Budget: $200,000,000
Few movies have ever gotten into the same stratosphere as Spider-Man: No Way Home, which this blockbuster somehow did in the middle of a global pandemic. The MCU Spidey threequel shook the moviegoing world back in December 2021, grossing $1.91 billion and doing so as COVID-19 cases were surging worldwide.
The film was a feat both on-screen and off, bringing together 20 years of Marvel's web-slinging hero on the big screen as well as racking up the box office total it did despite the conditions it was released into. It is hard to know just how much COVID-19 ultimately impacted No Way Home's final box office haul, but it is easy to envision a world where this could have been the biggest movie on this list (and maybe ever).
2.) Avengers: Infinity War
Worldwide gross: $2,048,359,754
- Budget: $300,000,000
Avengers: Infinity War (and its immediate sequel) was a theatrical event. The first part of the Infinity Saga closer was the first MCU film to cross the $2 billion mark, as Josh Brolin's Thanos came to Earth and snapped away some of the MCU's most iconic heroes.
After proving themselves with The Winter Soldier and Civil War, the Russo Brothers set a new standard for themselves with Infinity War. Despite the film's massive $300 million budget, Deadline reported that after accounting for marketing and other expenses "Disney [walked] away with a half-billion in profit" from the film. It was a massive hit, and one that could only be outdone by its successor.
1.) Avengers: Endgame
Worldwide gross: $2,794,731,755
- Budget: $400,000,000
And just like the events of Phases 1-3, all roads lead to Endgame. Avengers: Endgame still holds the record as the biggest MCU movie ever and the second-biggest film of all time.
The unofficial Infinity Saga closer made $2.79 billion worldwide, and, until a late-2018 Avatar re-release from James Cameron, it was the biggest movie of all time. The movie had easily the biggest MCU budget of all time ($400 million), yet netted Marvel Studios and Disney somewhere in the ballpark of $890 million.
Endgame set a new standard, not just for the MCU, but for blockbuster moviemaking as a whole, something that only the likes of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars could even think of dethroning.
All of the MCU's movies are available to stream on Disney+ except for The Incredible Hulk and the Spider-Man trilogy.
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