Detective Pikachu Officially Topples Avengers: Endgame at Friday Box Office

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu has dealt the first blow to Avengers: Endgame at the box office. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu earned $20.7 million on Friday, its first day at the box office. Avengers: Endgame earned $16.06 million on the same day. That’s the first day since Avengers: Endgame began its theatrical run that the film hasn’t been the highest-grossing film in theaters.

Despite that, Avengers: Endgame is still expected to top Pokemon: Detective Pikachu on the latter film’s opening weekend at the box office. Avengers: Endgame will earn approximately $61.7 million in its third weekend. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu will open to $57 million and land in second place.

While Detective Pikachu‘s first Friday topped Endgame‘s third, it has can’t compare to Endgame‘s first day at the box office. Endgame broke the record set by Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015 for highest-grossing opening day. Endgame made $156.7 million in its first day at the box office, including a record-setting $60 million in Thursday night previews. The film also had the first $1 billion opening weekend at the global box office.

Endgame received praise from critics and fans, including ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis. “The final movie in Marvel’s Infinity Saga is a masterpiece,” Davis writes in his review. “It’s an absolute spectacle which needs to be watched on the biggest screen possible. It’s a love letter to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, I’d argue that Avengers: Endgame is the film event of our lifetime and lives up to every bit of global hype it has garnered. It is setting a new standard and raising the bar for event films and likely will not be matched in this generation of filmmaking.”

Detective Pikachu received a more mixed but still generally positive review from critics, including a 4 out of 5 review from ComicBook.com’s Megan Peters: “With such high expectations weighing upon the film, Detective Pikachu proves Pokemon was made for live action. The film is full of heart and fulfills the wishes of fans both young and old. Even novices will leave theaters intrigued by the film’s colorful world and wish Detective Pikachu found a way to include a bit more action. As the movie comes to an end, Detective Pikachu feels like the first successful step to an all-out Pokemon journey all while delivering an uplifting adaptation worthy of beating the Elite Four.”

What did you think of Avengers: Endgame and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu? Let us know in the comments. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is now playing in theaters.

Avengers: Endgame is now playing in theaters. Captain Marvel is also still playing in theaters. Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th.

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