Avengers: Endgame may have been obliterating box office records since the second it hit theaters on April 26th, but it looks like there’s one milestone that the epic superhero blockbuster might not be able to reach. Even following the recent re-release that added a Stan Lee tribute, a clearly unfinished deleted scene and the opening of Spider-Man: Far From Home, the chances of Endgame snatching Avatar’s crown as the highest-grossing movie of all time are becoming increasingly slim.
Not that you can be too harsh on a movie that smashed 33 records at the domestic box office, scored the biggest opening weekend ever in 55 countries and has gone on to earn over $2.77 billion at the box office. Yet, some people seem to have been critical that Endgame has so far failed to overtake Avatar, with co-director Anthony Russo even commenting on the matter, saying:
“I mean, I know it sounds very sensational and all but I try not to focus on it because there’s no – even if we don’t pass Avatar, there’s no way I want to have a shred of regret about anything associated with this movie. So I refuse to kind of consider it, you know?”
The re-release may have lifted Endgame back into the domestic top ten and nudged it closer to Avatar’s record-setting $2.787 billion, but it still trails James Cameron’s groundbreaking fantasy by a little over $15 million. With the home video release just weeks away, the only realistic shot Endgame has left at hitting top spot is if Marvel Studios decides to give the movie a big push during awards season and re-release it yet again.
Even if it fails to topple Avatar though, Marvel are hardly going to be losing any sleep over it. Five of the ten highest-grossing movies in history, including all four Avengers pics, are entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel are the two biggest hits of 2019, and after making over $580 million at the box office in six days Spider-Man: Far From Home is well on the way to making it three-for-three. But for once, it seems as if the MCU might have to settle for being second best.
