Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame has reclaimed the title of highest-grossing movie in history, reaching a global box-office total of $2.9255 billion following an extended theatrical re-release that debuted in late September 2026.
Avengers: Endgame Encore Pushes Lifetime Total Past Avatar
Seven years after its original premiere, the Marvel Cinematic Universe capstone recaptured its title this weekend as the highest-grossing movie of all time. Disney and Marvel Studios brought the blockbuster back to theaters starting September 25 under the title Endgame: Encore, deploying an extended cut that includes four new scenes during the closing credits and extra footage teasing December’s upcoming release.
The theatrical return added approximately $126 million worldwide to the film’s lifetime earnings, pushing its cumulative global ticket sales to $2.9255 billion. That narrow margin superseded James Cameron’s science-fiction epic Avatar, which sits at $2.9237 billion globally after multiple re-releases over the past decade.
The superhero epic tells the story of dozens of Marvel superheroes opposing Thanos, a supervillain who has erased half the universe’s population. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the 2019 blockbuster assembles Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin as Thanos, Brie Larson, and Paul Rudd. The original release also featured Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, and Anthony Mackie as Falcon. It marked the culmination of twenty-one movies over ten years and concluded the story that began with Iron Man in 2008.
Endgame Earns 86 Million Dollars Worldwide During Re-Release
Domestic and international audiences turned out in large numbers for the re-issue, grossing $26 million domestically and pulling in roughly $86 million worldwide during its opening frame across 3,060 North American theaters. In international markets such as mainland China, the film brought in 90.2 million yuan during its first week back on the big screen, alongside 6.4 million yuan from midnight screenings.
Among re-releases in domestic cinemas, only 1997’s Star Wars: A New Hope at $35.9 million US and 2011’s The Lion King at $30.2 million US have opened higher than Endgame. The achievement marks the second time Endgame has overtaken Avatar since the Marvel film’s initial record-setting run in 2019.
The Ping-Pong Rivalry Between Disney Blockbusters
Avatar held the top spot for a decade after its 2009 debut, telling the story of an Indigenous population fighting off a human invasion on the moon Pandora, before Endgame crossed $2.79 billion during its initial 2019 theatrical run.
James Cameron’s film reclaimed the crown in March 2021 following a re-release in China and another theatrical push in 2022 ahead of the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, bringing its total to over $2.8 billion. At the time of that 2021 shift, Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo sent a lighthearted message acknowledging the change.
Passing the gauntlet back to you.
Joe and Anthony Russo, via CBC
Now, Marvel has seized the lead once again, though industry observers note that the constant jockeying for position reflects rising ticket prices over the years more than surging overall attendance. With Fox’s assets included, Disney is responsible for seven of the ten highest-grossing movies, including Avatar: The Way of Water at $2.33 billion, Titanic at $2.26 billion, and Avengers: Infinity War at $2.05 billion. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has generated a combined $35.07 billion across all movies, making it the highest-grossing film series in history.
Building Marketing Momentum for Avengers: Doomsday
The decision to bring back the 2019 superhero epic serves a direct strategic purpose for the studio. Disney and Marvel reissued the film to generate marketing momentum for Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled to open in theaters on December 18. This theatrical return provides 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. This summer’s juggernaut Spider-Man: Brand New Day climbed past $2.5 billion.
Joe Russo explained in an interview that the theatrical return helps reconnect narrative threads for audiences before the arrival of Doomsday. Anthony Russo elaborated on how the writing process for the upcoming picture pointed them backward.
Many years later, as we started to conceive a road forward that would evolve into Doomsday, it just begged of us: ‘You really need to pick the story up from where you left it in Endgame.’
Anthony Russo, via Indiatimes