Everyone is understandably going gaga over the monstrous Avengers: Endgame box office numbers. The movie may seem destined to dethrone many or all of the blockbusters ahead of it, but a closer look at the numbers shows that Marvel’s big moneymaker is actually slowing down compared to its biggest competition: the Star Wars franchise.
The sequel to Avengers: Infinity War netted $21.7 million during its second Thursday in theaters. While still impressive, this number pales in comparison to the $27 million that Star Wars: The Force Awakens made during its second Thursday.
In fact, the 2015 installment of the Star Wars franchise has bested Avengers: Endgame in every day of their respective second weeks aside from Sunday. While Marvel fans are hoping the superhero film can continue to shatter box office records, there’s a clear possibility that the blockbuster may be headed for the same fate as Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The similarities between the two movies are undeniable. There are the surprising number of plot holes, the sharp redirection when compared to previous films in the respective universes and the mishandling of several characters. Then, of course, there’s the fact that each movie has a surprising death that changes the entire fate of the franchise going forward.
Keeping these comparisons in mind, it’s worth noting that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice suffered a huge drop-off during its second weekend. Sales went down 69.1% after many negative reviews from critics and fans alike. If Marvel has its sights set on surpassing Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ second-weekend box office gross, then Avengers: Endgame needs to drop less than 58%.
This will prove to be quite the challenge, considering that the movie’s predecessor dropped 55.5% during its second week. No matter what happens this weekend though, the real winner here is the parent company. With the huge opening of the latest Avengers film, along with several live-action remakes of their other acclaimed films on the horizon and another Star Wars movie coming out late in 2019, it looks like Disney in line for yet another titanic year at the box office.
