Following its September theatrical re-release featuring new footage for Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Endgame has surpassed Avatar at the global box office to reclaim the all-time highest-grossing film record, prompting a lighthearted congratulatory response from filmmaker James Cameron.
Avengers: Endgame Encore Pushes Marvel Back to the Top
The global box office landscape shifted once again as Avengers: Endgame reclaimed the title of the highest-grossing film of all time. The milestone arrived in the wake of the theatrical re-release titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, which debuted in theaters on September 25, 2026.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019) has officially surpassed AVATAR (2009) to become the highest-grossing movie of ALL time at the global box office.It’s now on track to finish its rerelease with $2.95 BILLION worldwide. pic.twitter.com/DdS9nu4y0z
Industry tracking figures from Box Office Mojo placed the Marvel blockbuster at approximately $2.9255 billion worldwide, edging past Avatar at $2.9237 billion. The narrow lead leaves the all-time chart vulnerable to future theatrical adjustments.
The re-release opened to an estimated $86 million worldwide during its initial weekend, bringing in $26 million domestically and $60 million overseas. That performance marked the second-biggest global opening ever for a re-release, trailing only Titanic in 2012. Domestically, the Encore run accumulated approximately $37.7 million in North American ticket sales, while premium formats like IMAX contributed $13.7 million to the rollout supported by Disney’s Infinity Vision brand.
New Footage and Strategic Connections to Avengers: Doomsday
The theatrical return was not a standard straight reissue. The updated cut runs 185 minutes—four minutes longer than the original theatrical release—and features a new introduction by Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, alongside a revised ending and post-credit scenes designed to tie directly into the upcoming winter release, Avengers: Doomsday.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the original blockbuster featured an epic ensemble cast that included Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Josh Brolin.
When asked about whether a post-credits scene mentioning 3,000 incursions served as a nod to Tony Stark’s iconic line, Joe Russo offered a tease regarding the studio’s connectivity planning.
I mean, could be? There are a lot of really experienced brains working on Doomsday, and we try to think through everything. We love Easter eggs, and we love connectivity.
Joe Russo, Director
The director added that additional clues hidden within Endgame would guide audiences toward the events of Doomsday.
James Cameron Responds With Na’vi Artwork
Following the box-office shift, James Cameron continued a Hollywood tradition by releasing celebratory artwork acknowledging the new record-holder. The filmmaker shared a composite image depicting Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man being welcomed on Pandora by a Na’vi tribe.
You are one of the people.
James Cameron, Filmmaker
Congratulations to Marvel and the #1 ‘Avengers: Endgame: Encore’ for bringing moviegoers to the cinemas!
James Cameron, Filmmaker
The gesture mirrors a similar exchange in July 2019, when Endgame initially took the crown and Cameron posted artwork featuring Iron Man surrounded by wood-sprites with the message, I see you Marvel
. Avatar subsequently reclaimed the top spot in March 2021 following a re-release in China, before Marvel’s recent Encore run pushed the ledger back to the MCU. In response to that earlier milestone, the Russo brothers had publicly posted, “Passing the gauntlet back to you.”
Current Global Box Office Standings
Unadjusted global box office rankings place multiple franchise entries near the top of the all-time charts, with Marvel holding prominent positions globally and the Marvel Cinematic Universe crossing approximately $35 billion worldwide since the release of Iron Man in 2008.
| Film Title | Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|
| Avengers: Endgame | $2.938 billion |
| Avatar | $2.923 billion |
| Spider-Man: Brand New Day | $2.513 billion |
| Avatar: The Way of Water | $2.334 billion |
| Ne Zha 2 | $2.270 billion |