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While it’s no surprise that Avengers: Endgame — the formerly highest-grossing film of all time — is the most successful superhero movie at the global box office, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe the biggest draw in cinema history, one may wonder what set the precedent for such dominance. Decades before billion-dollar franchises became the norm, silver screen adaptations of legacy comic book characters like Superman and Batman paved the way with unprecedented success.
From Marvel’s web-slinging Spider-Man to DC’s brooding The Dark Knight in styles of Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, the genre has grown into a diverse powerhouse, expanding rapidly with fourth-wall-breaking hit comedies like Deadpool to gritty, R-rated triumphs like Joker, and even culturally trailblazing hits like Black Panther and Wonder Woman. This timeline explores how the title of highest-grossing superhero movie changed hands, with some reigning for decades, others for less than a year, across 40 years of modern blockbuster history.
1. Superman (1978)
Long before the genre was a staple of the global box office, Richard Donner’s Superman proved that audiences could take a man in tights seriously, especially when played by someone as earnest as Christopher Reeve. Chronicling the journey of Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) from Krypton to Kansas and eventually to Metropolis as Earth’s greatest protector, Superman fused sincerity with spectacle, permeating an incorruptible message of hope.
Catapulting a quadrilogy of films, the first-ever superhero series on big screens, Superman earned an estimated $300 million globally (according to Box Office Mojo), a feat that made it one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time at the end of the 1970s, alongside behemoths like Star Wars, The Godfather, and Jaws. More than just a financial hit, it established the blueprint for what a cinematic superhero could be, and where the genre would rule four decades later.
2. Batman (1989)
Years after the ‘80s came and passed, Tim Burton’s Batman ushered in the next era of superhero dominance, introducing a gothic and shadowy complexion to Clark Kent’s goofy Metropolis. Gone was the camp of the 1960s TV show; in its place came a darker, sinister Gotham, brought to life by Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) and his flamboyant yet sinister nemesis, the Joker (Jack Nicholson). The film follows the rise of Batman as Gotham’s vigilante while simultaneously tracing the Joker’s chaotic emergence as the Clown Prince of Crime — a dual origin rooted in visual luminescence and thematic grit.
Upon release, Batman earned over $411 million worldwide and ended as the year’s second-highest-grossing film globally, trailing only Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It also entered the top 10 highest-grossing films ever at the time. It transcended to other media, most notably with Batman: The Animated Series, solidifying the viability of superhero cinema as both a commercial and cultural phenomenon.
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3. Spider-Man (2002)
After decades of rights issues and production starting and stopping at Sony, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man finally brought Marvel’s friendly neighborhood wall-crawler to theaters with a bang. Tracing the origin of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) — a nerdy high schooler transformed into a superhero after a radioactive spider bite — the beloved movie found an emotional core in his struggle between power and responsibility while giving audiences exhilarating action sequences that had only become feasible with new-era CGI.
Spider-Man opened to a historic $114 million weekend (the first film to open in three digits) and swung to over $825 million globally as per Box Office Mojo. That haul placed it at #5 among the highest-grossing films of all time upon release, scarcely short of The Lion King and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Its box office reign elevated Marvel’s cinematic prospects and remained unchallenged by subsequent entries — even the pre-Endgame MCU, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, could not dethrone its threequel.
4. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Spider-Man 3’s box office marked the first time a superhero movie successfully defended its ground by surpassing its most successful predecessor and securing the highest-grossing superhero movie crown at home. A critical disappointment, featuring the infamous dance sequence with Tobey Maguire, Spider-Man 3 ended Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy on a high note, at least at the box office, grossing nearly $891 million across the planet (according to Box Office Mojo). However, the crown would soon slip the following summer.
5. The Dark Knight (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan, the only modern auteur to have found the right balance that pleases both critics and audiences, The Dark Knight unanimously remains the greatest superhero film of all time and is largely credited with designing the blueprint for how a comic book movie adaptation should manifest. With such a grand reputation and an impressive awards season, its box office was scarcely a factor beyond breaking even.
Nevertheless, The Dark Knight managed to resonate with audiences like no other film had in decades, emerging as the highest-grossing movie of the year. Best cherished for Heath Ledger’s stupendous turn into Gotham’s greatest villain and Batman’s archnemesis, Joker, which won him an Academy Award posthumously, The Dark Knight originally ended its run at an estimated $997 million (via Box Office Mojo) before the award season boost pushed it past the billion-dollar mark.
6. The Avengers (2012)
While back in 2008, the MCU trailblazer Iron Man had fallen prey to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, four years later and half a dozen entries in, this superhero team extravaganza wasn’t one to not stand out. With $1.5 billion, The Avengers became the third-highest-grossing movie of all time at the worldwide charts and thrashed most box office records, including those of The Dark Knight. To add injury to insult, this time around, the May release by Marvel managed to beat the July release from DC, The Dark Knight Rises, healing the wounds it had been carrying for four years. This, in turn, also triggered the ongoing chain reaction that left DC struggling to catch up to Marvel, not winning a single year anytime the rivals had new releases facing off.
7. Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther (2018)
That’s right! Which Marvel movie between Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther made more money, and why did they both simultaneously reign as the top-grossing comic book movie? This unusual “civil war” was effected following their releases, with Infinity War succeeding Black Panther merely 10 weeks later. In doing so, while the former stood no chance of overwhelming the team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes across the planet, like a referendum, it aroused colossal interest among the United States’ diverse ethnicities, thus topping Infinity War in North America, earning $700 million to the latter’s $678 million. Avengers: Infinity War nevertheless emerged victorious globally, as was expected, making approximately $2.05 billion, subtly beating its own predecessor, a fate it would soon be subject to from the other side. (via Box Office Mojo)
8. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
A culmination of more than a decade of story arc — the MCU’s “Infinity Saga” — Avengers: Endgame was all but guaranteed to hold the crown it still dons today. Perhaps the most front-loaded movie in history — and understandably so, given the need to avoid spoilers — it opened to over $357 million in the United States and Canada alone, while worldwide Endgame’s opening weekend yielded more than $1.2 billion, shattering the previous record set by Infinity War by doubling it. The only box office record Avengers: Endgame could not break was Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens’ domestic lifetime haul of $936 million. However, it had plenty to make up for it.
Not only did it surpass Avengers: Infinity War as the highest-grossing superhero movie within its first 10 days at the ticket windows, but with its celestial $2.79 billion worldwide collection, the Marvel saga conclusion briefly left behind Avatar as the highest-grossing movie ever. However, overtaking Avatar by merely $10 million — a margin that was driven less by momentum than by the emotional objective of claiming the top spot — the Russo Brothers’ movie got to try on James Cameron’s epic throne for 19 months before ultimately returning it.
Historical Progression of the Highest-Grossing Superhero/Comic Book Movie
While Avengers: Endgame has successfully reigned at the box office for six years (and counting), it’s only halfway to the record set by Superman and Batman. According to Box Office Mojo, this timeline charts the evolution of the highest-grossing superhero movies in history, illustrating how each film passed the torch across 40 years of cinematic transformation.
Note: Box office numbers are attributed to estimates from various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates!
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