Ten years, 20 films (with at least three more already done and awaiting release). This is the extraordinary achievement of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the pet project of Marvel Studios under the auspices of its parent company Disney. These interconnected movies featuring various Marvel superheroes have enchanted audiences and fans all over the world.
And let’s not forget to mention: they’re blockbusters too! The general trend where the MCU is concerned is that not one of the films in the series can ever be considered a box office flop. In fact, let’s look at this Top 10 List, courtesy of TIME, that enumerates the highest-grossing MCU films yet released.
Figures are given as North American earnings first, total global take second, with the NA gross determining the films’ place on this Top 10 list:
- Black Panther (2018) – $700,059,566 ($1,346,913,161)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – $678,815,482 ($2,048,359,754)
- Avengers (2012) – $623,357,910 ($1,518,812,988)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) – $459,005,868 ($1,405,403,694)
- Iron Man 3 (2013) – $409,013,994 ($1,214,811,252)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016) – $408,084,349 ($1,153,304,495) *global 1B box-office mark here*
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2018) – $389,813,101 ($863,756,051)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – $334,201,140 ($880,166,924)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – $333,176,600 ($773,328,629)
- Iron Man (2008) – $318,412,101 ($585,174,222)
Even the remaining 10 MCU movies not in the Top 10 are no slouches, with the least performing installment, 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk,†are firmly on the over-$100,000 box office gross in both North American and international markets. This makes the franchise one of the most powerful properties around.
This 2019 will see three MCU films premiering as the year marches on. There are the last two pieces of the series’ “Phase 3,†“Captain Marvel†this March and “Avengers: Endgame†on April. The first MCU – Phase 4 movie, “Spider-Man: Far from Home,†comes July.