The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest-grossing film franchise in Hollywood history, so it isn’t surprising that many of its stars rank among the highest-grossing actors. Earlier this year, Zoe Saldaña became the new highest-grossing lead actor of all time — a feat that owes a lot to her involvement in Avatar, but her resume still includes the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and Avengers: Infinity War. Saldaña bested the previous mark set by her Avengers: Endgame co-star Scarlett Johansson, and there’s a chance either Chris Pratt or Robert Downey Jr. could set a new record in 2026. Everywhere you look, Marvel actors are always on the precipice of making box office history.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Given the MCU’s box office prowess for nearly two decades, it might be a bit surprising to learn that there aren’t many Marvel directors among the highest-grossing filmmakers of all time. In the top 10, there are only two who have lent their talents to the shared universe: Joe and Anthony Russo. That dynamic duo is back in the MCU to call the shots on Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, putting them in position to make some notable box office history of their own.
Joe and Anthony Russo Can Match Steven Spielberg and James Cameron at the Box Office
According to The Numbers, Joe and Anthony Russo’s films have combined to gross $6.762 billion at the worldwide box office. Nearly $5 billion of that comes from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame alone, but it’s undeniably an impressive sum. There are only two directors in history whose films have made more: industry legends James Cameron ($10.147 billion) and Steven Spielberg ($10.723 billion). Because the Russos are back in the Marvel sandbox, they now have a great chance of joining this very exclusive box office club by the end of the Multiverse Saga.
Ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday this December, the Russos are about $3.2 billion away from crossing the $10 billion threshold. That means Doomsday and Secret Wars will have to gross over $1.6 billion each in order for the siblings to hit the milestone. That’s a significant sum of money, especially in a theatrical landscape that has changed drastically over the past handful of years, but if any films feel like safe bets to pass $1.6 billion worldwide, it would probably be these two upcoming Avengers movies.
The Avengers has always been a very lucrative brand for the MCU. The previous four Avengers films released to date all crossed the $1 billion mark. The lowest-grossing Avengers movie is Avengers: Age of Ultron, which brought in $1.405 billion. While you never want to assume that a specific movie will gross over $1 billion, it’s plausible to expect Doomsday and Secret Wars to approach $1.6 billion given the franchise’s track record. As evidenced by the four Doomsday teaser trailers that have been released already, Disney and Marvel are going all out with the marketing campaign, pulling out all the stops to raise buzz and awareness. Both Avengers movies will be in excellent position for long box office runs since they will be the main attraction in theaters over the next two holiday seasons.
Marvel has experienced some ups and downs at the box office during the Multiverse Saga, but this era of the MCU has still produced some of the franchise’s biggest hits. Two movies in this stretch have soared past $1 billion: Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.338 billion) and Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.921 billion). That’s an encouraging sign for Doomsday‘s prospects, since both Deadpool & Wolverine and No Way Home were sold by emphasizing legacy elements and characters in marketing. Doomsday is leaning heavily on nostalgia to appeal to general viewers, so there will likely be a lot of interest in seeing the movie this December.
Could the Russos Fail to Match Spielberg and Cameron?
While it’s reasonable to assume that Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will be major hits, it’s still worth wondering if there’s a scenario where the Russos don’t reach the $10 billion mark at the end of this journey. There are a lot of variables that will ultimately determine how this plays out. Word of mouth might be the most important. If reception to Doomsday is mixed (or even negative), that could have a significant impact on the film’s long-term box office prospects. Franchise sequels like this tend to be front-loaded, meaning the die-hards show up in full force on opening weekend and then business starts to die down once the initial hype dissipates.
In order for movies to reach $1 billion at the worldwide box office, they need to have strong legs. The best way for that to happen is for word of mouth to be strong, fueling continued interest in seeing the film for several consecutive weeks (and driving up demand for repeat viewings). Should Avengers: Doomsday be critically acclaimed and hailed as a return to form for Marvel, it will be in great shape for a long, fruitful run. However, if the reviews and fan responses aren’t as enthusiastic, then Doomsday could suffer severe drops during its second weekend and beyond. Unlike Avengers: Endgame, when the MCU was at the height of its popularity, Marvel is in a different place now in terms of both quality and commercial appeal.
If Doomsday underwhelms, there might be a domino effect that impacts Secret Wars. These two films are so intricately connected that if people aren’t enamored with Doomsday, excitement for Secret Wars will likely be diminished, and it may not make as much money as it could have if reception was more positive. This isn’t to say either film is in danger of bombing, but movies that disappoint typically do not have strong legs. It’s worth mentioning that Doomsday and Secret Wars are in a unique position when compared to the other Avengers movies in terms of release date. They won’t be facing much competition from whatever new releases follow in January. Instead of dealing with high-profile summer tentpoles, Doomsday and Secret Wars will be the big blockbusters in town.
But that alone doesn’t guarantee $1.6 billion or more. For proof, look no further than Avatar: Fire and Ash, which earned the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the franchise (66%) and will post the franchise’s lowest box office total. As its run winds down, Fire and Ash stands at $1.440 billion worldwide, a significant decrease from previous installments. This performance can primarily be attributed to diminished interest. Fire and Ash retained the No. 1 position on the domestic box office chart for five straight weeks, but that had more to do with the lack of competition than the strength of the film itself. If Fire and Ash came out during a more competitive part of the release calendar, it might have had a starker decline. Something similar could happen with Doomsday, where it’s in the neighborhood of $1 billion but doesn’t reach astronomical heights because the word of mouth isn’t there.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
