‘Avengers: Endgame’ Is Closing In on a Box Office Milestone No Film Has Ever Reached
Box office records rarely stay put for long, and the battle for the title of highest-grossing film of all time has become one of Hollywood’s most entertaining rivalries. Two Disney-owned blockbusters have been trading the crown back and forth for years. Now one of them is flirting with a number that no movie has ever touched.
‘Avengers: Endgame‘ originally took the all-time record from James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ in 2019, which had held it for roughly a decade. ‘Avatar’ later reclaimed the crown in 2021 after a re-release in China, and it added more re-releases afterward. The two films have been passing the title back and forth ever since.
The latest swap came courtesy of ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore,’ a re-release that arrived on September 25, and it has pushed ‘Endgame’ back to No. 1 worldwide. Its latest tally now sits roughly $60 million shy of $3 billion, and if it gets there, it would be the first film in history to reach that milestone.
Disney and Marvel brought the film back with a few minutes of new footage tied to ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and the strategy worked. The re-release opened with $86 million worldwide, including $26 million in North America and $60 million internationally. That was the third-best opening for a re-release, behind the 1997 special edition of ‘Star Wars’ and the 2011 3D re-release of ‘The Lion King.’
It also topped the domestic box office, becoming the first re-release to do so since ‘The Lion King’ in 3D in 2011. The new scenes were paired with Disney’s “Infinity Vision” certification for premium large formats. For nostalgic fans, it was an easy reason to buy a ticket again.
By the second weekend, the re-release had added another $18.8 million worldwide, bringing its total to roughly $126 million. That lifted ‘Endgame’ to $2.9255 billion, edging past ‘Avatar’ at $2.9237 billion. The gap was tiny, but it was enough to reclaim the record.
The achievement is more remarkable given how rarely re-releases perform. One analyst noted that they seldom earn more than $10 million, yet ‘Endgame’ was available to stream for years and still beat a slate of new movies. ‘Endgame’ now ranks third on the all-time domestic chart, behind ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ and it was only the second film to cross $2 billion internationally.
That’s the big question, and the numbers show it won’t be easy. Domestic ticket sales for ‘Encore’ fell by more than 80% in the second weekend, so the pace has slowed sharply. Closing a gap of roughly $60 million would require a lot of continued momentum.
The record-keeping also comes with a caveat. As NPR noted, the rivalry between these two films reflects rising ticket prices more than rising attendance. And since ‘Avatar’ is only a hair behind, the crown could flip again if Cameron’s film gets another release.
Reassemble the team & relive the experience as Avengers Endgame: Encore returns to theaters September 25. Tickets now available for IMAX and Infinity Vision screens: https://t.co/pZZ4PiOyQb https://t.co/2wKSVG4FLz
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 25, 2026
The timing isn’t an accident. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ opens on December 18 and will face ‘Dune: Part Three,’ setting up a major box office clash before the end of the year. The success of ‘Encore’ has theater owners buzzing, and it suggests there’s still big demand for the franchise.
It’s also a strong year for Marvel, with ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ climbing to about $2.5 billion. The MCU has now generated a combined $35.07 billion across all its films. Whether ‘Endgame’ reaches $3 billion on its own or ‘Doomsday’ eventually challenges it, the next few months are shaping up to be a record-setting stretch.
Will ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Reach $3 Billion?
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