There is a craze for comic-book movies in the world of cinema. Led primarily by Disney-owned Marvel Studios and its Marvel Cinematic Universe, this phenomenon appeared to dial down after 2019’s Avengers Endgame, but that lull was short-lived. The success of recent comic-book movies proves that the audience’s appetite to witness their heroes and villains take on each other is still insatiable. To put it all into perspective, four of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time belong to the MCU. Let’s look at the top 10 highest-grossing Marvel movies in order.
Deadpool & Wolverine hit theatres worldwide in July 2024, marking the debut of both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s mutant superheroes in MCU. It is the first R-rated movie from the stables of Marvel Studios. Spending only a few weeks in cinemas, it has already become a hit. It recently crossed the USD 1 billion mark, becoming only the 11th movie in the MCU to do so. At the time of writing this, the movie has grossed USD 1.151 billion.
It bested the Joaquin Phoenix-starrer Joker (2019) to become the highest-grossing R-Rated movie in history. Joker was the origin story of the iconic DC villain who has appeared in many Batman movies.
With Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU, albeit not as Tony Stark but as the supervillain Doctor Doom, it appears we are going back to the heydays. Despite a few setbacks in the last couple of years, it looks like the MCU will continue to be a box office juggernaut.
Note: All box office figures are from Box Office Mojo. The figures are rounded off.
Ranking Marvel movies in the order of the lowest- to the highest-grossing
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Box office haul: USD 1.13 billion
IMDb rating: 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 91 per cent
Directed by: Jon Watts
Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya
Movie duration: 2 hours 9 minutes
Synopsis: Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Holland) goes on a trip to Europe in the wake of Thanos’ defeat and Tony Stark’s sacrifice. Still haunted by the fact that his mentor is gone, he is approached by Quentin Beck or Mysterio (Gyllenhaal), a man who claims to be a superhero from another universe. Peter joins forces with him to protect the world from Elementals, creatures who destroyed Beck’s world. Or is that what Mysterio is actually doing? Meanwhile, Peter musters up the courage to finally confess his feelings to Michelle Jones-Watson (Zendaya).
Why it’s great: Visual effects alone are enough to recommend this movie. There are scenes in which Mysterio showcases his numerous illusions, and it’s nothing short of spectacular.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Box office haul: USD 1.151 billion
IMDb rating: 8
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 78 per cent
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen
Movie duration: 2 hours 8 minutes
Synopsis: Wade Wilson or Deadpool (Reynolds) is retired and lives a quiet life. He is abducted by soldiers of the Time Variance Authority who bring him to Mr. Paradox (Macfadyen). Paradox tells him that due to the death of its anchor being, Logan or Wolverine (Jackman), his universe is deteriorating and he can speed up the process. However, Deadpool steals Paradox’s TemPad to find another Wolverine from some other universe to stabilise his timeline and instead ends up with the worst one in the multiverse.
Why it’s great: This movie has little in terms of the plot to offer as it is just a fast-paced adventure peppered with numerous superhero cameos from yesteryear Marvel films. However, Hugh Jackman is astounding in his return as the adamantium-clawed mutant. His dynamic with Reynolds is the best part of the movie. The pacing is also fast enough to make you gloss over most of the flaws.
Box office haul: USD 1.153 billion
IMDb rating: 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90 per cent
Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie
Movie duration: 2 hours 27 minutes
Synopsis: Dubbed Avengers 2.5 due to its humongous cast, this movie was about a rift between the Avengers that split the superhero team neatly (and conveniently) in half. One faction, led by Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), was convinced of more government regulation of superheroes. The other, led by Steve Rogers (Evans), believed it would be a terrible idea. They clash at the end, though the actual battle is not as bloody as expected.
Why it’s great: The Russos juggle the massive cast of superheroes pretty nicely here, making sure each one is paid his or her due. It is for this reason they were hired to direct the next two Avengers movies. It marks the debut of Tom Holland as MCU Spider-Man, who went on to star in three more Spider-Man movies.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Box office haul: USD 1.21 billion
IMDb rating: 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 79 per cent
Directed by: Shane Black
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow
Movie duration: 2 hours 10 minutes
Synopsis: Tony Stark or Iron Man (Downey Jr.) is grappling with mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), following the Battle of New York in The Avengers (2012). However, things are about to get even worse for him when he learns of a mysterious new terrorist threat called the Mandarin.
Why it’s great: Not everything works in this movie, including the big twist, but it peels back layers of the outer persona of Tony Stark in ways the last two entries in the series did not. Also, the third act is absolutely awesome. Guy Pearce, who was the star of the first-ever Christopher Nolan movie, Memento (2000), does his best here, but the surprise related to his villain does not quite land.
Black Panther (2018)
Box office haul: USD 1.37 billion
IMDb rating: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96 per cent
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira
Movie duration: 2 hours 14 minutes
Synopsis: T’Challa (Boseman) is the heir to the futuristic African nation of Wakanda following his father’s death. But he is struggling to lead his people. A new threat emerges in the form of Erik Killmonger (Jordan), who wants to use Wakandan technology to wage war upon the world as vengeance for slavery. While T’Challa wears an advanced suit, Killmonger is a threat he cannot afford to underestimate.
Why it’s great: Not only was most of the cast black, but this movie also celebrated African cultures. Late Boseman and Jordan were both outstanding in their respective roles. Wakanda was also quite well-realised.
Read more: Black Panther filming locations you can visit in real life
Box office haul: USD 1.40 billion
IMDb rating: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 76 per cent
Directed by: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson
Movie duration: 2 hours 21 minutes
Synopsis: Frightened by the Battle of New York and other intergalactic threats, Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Ruffalo) try to secretly develop a global defence programme called Ultron. But it backfires big time when it gains sentience and decides that to save the world, every human being on Earth must be obliterated. Stark, Banner and other superheroes, including Captain America (Evans) and Thor (Hemsworth), join forces to end the threat before it spirals out of control.
Why it’s great: It’s the worst among Avengers movies. That being said, it is still pretty good. The action is great, there are several amazing character moments, though it is quite overstuffed.
The Avengers (2012)
Box office haul: USD 1.51 billion
IMDb rating: 8
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 91 per cent
Directed by: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston
Movie duration: 2 hours 23 minutes
Synopsis: S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury (Jackson) brings together Earth’s mightiest superheroes, including Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner (Ruffalo), Thor (Hemsworth) and Captain America (Evans). The reason? To protect the planet from a singular threat: an extraterrestrial Chitauri army and at its head, the Asgardian God of Mischief, Loki (Hiddleston).
Why it’s great: It’s simply the perfect superhero team-up movie. Looking back, its achievements seem even more unlikely, considering this was the first time something like this was tried in live-action. Despite being a couple of minutes longer than its sequel, it feels much leaner and taut. Whedon, who was earlier known for creating the iconic vampire TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), was an unusual choice for the movie. But it worked.
Box office haul: USD 1.91 billion
IMDb rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93 per cent
Directed by: Jon Watts
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jon Favreau, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield
Movie duration: 2 hours 28 minutes
Synopsis: After the true identity of Spider-Man (Holland), Peter Parker, is out in the world, he begs Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) for help to turn it all around. Strange performs a ritual, but Peter interferes, and it goes haywire. Entities from other universes begin to invade, and there are two other Spider-Men (Maguire and Garfield). The three Spider-Men team up to take on their foes together.
Why it’s great: Though the Multiverse concept is fairly new in superhero cinema, it already feels old. No Way Home is not the best example, but it is one of the better ones. Holland remains an earnest and believable Peter Parker, and it was cool to see Maguire and Garfield return one last time. This movie is not as good as, say, Everything Everywhere All at Once (starring Michelle Yeoh) when it comes to multiverse movies, but it is good enough,
Box office haul: USD 2.05 billion
IMDb rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 85 per cent
Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Chadwick Boseman, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin
Movie duration: 2 hours 29 minutes
Synopsis: The Avengers and other superheroes, including the Guardians of the Galaxy, must team up to take on the Mad Titan Thanos (Brolin), an alien warlord who wants to claim all the Infinity Stones and half the population of the universe, believing it will restore the balance. As the superheroes unite and face him and his warriors, they realise this threat may be the greatest challenge they have ever faced.
Why it’s great: With two dozen superheroes, this movie was a gargantuan task, and the Russos were more than up for it. There are a number of action set pieces in this movie, but they are all nicely balanced with the quieter moments, particularly those that help lend depth to Thanos. Brolin, who will be seen in Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out instalment, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, is outstanding as the Mad Titan
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Box office haul: USD 2.80 billion
IMDb rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94 per cent
Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin, Brie Larson
Movie duration: 3 hours 1 minute
Synopsis: Five years have passed after Thanos (Brolin) succeeded in his quest to ‘balance out’ the universe or kill off half of all living beings in the cosmos. Superheroes, including Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) and Captain Marvel (Larson), think of an option to undo the ‘snap’ to bring back everyone from the dead. But it is easier said than done, for the Infinity Gauntlet is damaged beyond repair. The heroes then consider time travel as an option.
Why it’s great: Not as impressive as Infinity War, but Endgame was still stupefying. It was actually even bigger in scale and scope. It all culminated in a spectacular final battle when nearly every single MCU superhero fought Thanos and his minions. An epic conclusion to the Infinity Saga, it is no wonder that the MCU has been struggling ever since it came out. I mean, how do you top that? Bringing back Robert Downey Jr. as supervillain Doctor Doom might reignite the spark that has been missing. But then again, it might not.
(Hero image: Courtesy of photo by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Stud/Courtesy of 20th Century Studio – © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL./IMDb; Featured Image: Courtesy of photo by Marvel Studios/Courtesy of Marvel Studios – © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Until now, 34 MCU movies have been released. However, there are other Marvel movies, as well, including Sony’s 'Spider-Man' movies, and 20th Century Fox’s 'X-Men' and 'Fantastic Four' movies.
In terms of box office returns, 'Avengers: Endgame' is the top Marvel movie.
Usually, the order of their release is fine. This is particularly true for MCU movies, which were all planned carefully to create a cohesive, unified cinematic universe.
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
