Marvel’s Biggest Blockbusters: The Highest-Grossing Films of All Time
As Marvel prepares for Avengers: Doomsday with a massive budget and the return of Robert Downey Jr., we explore the highest-grossing Marvel films of all time, from Endgame to Spider-Man.
The anticipation among fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is reaching a fever pitch ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to bring beloved superheroes back to the screen and mark another historic milestone in the franchise. According to rumors, the production budget is estimated at around $400 million, alongside a $300 million marketing budget. Furthermore, reports suggest that Robert Downey Jr. will receive $100 million for his role, which, if true, would place him second for the highest movie salary of all time, trailing only Bruce Willis for The Sixth Sense.
Ahead of the film's scheduled theatrical release on December 16, we took a look at the highest-grossing Marvel movies of all time. The list includes mega-productions that poured hundreds of millions of dollars into shaping the cinematic world. The lineup features three different Avengers films and two Spider-Man blockbusters starring Tom Holland.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame, the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hit theaters in 2019 with an exact runtime of 181 minutes. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the massive production required an estimated budget of about $356 million. By its opening weekend alone, the project broke cinematic records by grossing $1.223 billion worldwide. Ultimately, the box office racked up global revenues of approximately $2.937 billion, a figure that made it the highest-grossing film of all time, further boosted by a recent theatrical re-release that brought in over $90 million. The plot concludes Phase 3 of the franchise and brings together over 30 core hero characters from previous films.
Robert Downey Jr., who is set to rake in about $100 million for Doomsday, originally pulled a base salary of $20 million for Endgame, which surged to roughly $75 million thanks to an 8% cut of the film's profits. Other cast stars, including Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Scarlett Johansson, pocketed between $15 and $20 million each. In total, the film's six leading actors generated combined earnings estimated at around $340 million that year.
Spider-Man: A New Day
Released in July 2026 with a 145-minute runtime, Spider-Man: A New Day quickly soared to become the third highest-grossing film in cinema history. The production budget stood at approximately $225 million (excluding marketing expenses), a sum that practically recouped itself during its very first days on screen. During its opening weekend, the film hauled in about $875 million globally, with some $360 million stemming from U.S. ticket sales alone. As of October 2026, total global revenues crossed the $2.512 billion mark, comprising over $1.55 million in international markets and $956 million domestically.
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War, the 19th installment in the franchise, premiered in 2018 with a runtime of 149 minutes. Directed by the Russo brothers, the blockbuster demanded a massive budget estimated between $325 and $400 million. By its opening weekend, the film smashed records by pulling in $640.5 million worldwide, including $257.6 million in the United States alone. Ultimately, it notched global revenues of about $2.052 billion, making it the fourth film in history to cross the $2 billion threshold.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home debuted in late 2021 with an exact runtime of 148 minutes. Produced on a budget of roughly $200 million, it swiftly recouped its investment with a colossal global opening of $587.2 million during its first weekend. The production smashed box office records with phenomenal total global revenues of $1.921 billion, of which approximately $814.8 million came from the U.S. alone. This astronomical leap was largely attributed to the film's historic climax, which united three different generations of the hero as former actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Maguire unexpectedly returned alongside Tom Holland.
The Avengers
The Avengers, released in 2012 as the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the conclusion of Phase 1, was produced on a budget of roughly $220 million. It grossed a historic U.S. opening weekend of $207.4 million—becoming the first film ever to cross the $200 million mark in a single weekend. Running for 143 minutes, the film united six iconic superheroes for the Battle of New York. Overall, the movie grossed over $1.518 billion worldwide.
All eyes are now fixed on Doomsday, arriving with an unprecedented $700 million gamble on production and marketing, alongside the stunning comeback of Robert Downey Jr. as the ultimate villain, Doctor Doom. Whether the Russo brothers and Downey Jr. can reignite global madness and conquer the box office summit remains to be seen, but the world will undoubtedly hold its breath.
