Marvel has been a hit at the box office for almost a decade. Ever sinceIron Manwon over audiences back in 2008, the studio has had a string of hits. Their successes range from modest to overwhelming, but they’ve changed the game, and there’s a reason other studios are chasing Marvel Studios' model. They own the first week of the summer movie season, and they continue to turn each new film into an event, each new character into a beloved franchise.
With the release ofSpider-Man: Far From Home, we’re looking back at the box office of every Marvel Studios film to see how they performed. We’re going to look at they’re opening weekend, domestic total, worldwide total, and reported budget. Of course, this is an incomplete picture. We don’t know the funding deals Marvel cut, the cost of P&A, or where the studio made the real money—merchandising. That being said, the success of a film at the box office can still provide an indication of the film’s popularity and cultural impact. It also shows how certain franchises have grown, stagnated, or compared to other movies in the MCU.
Iron Man (2008)
Opening Weekend:$98,618,668
Domestic Total:$318,412,101
Worldwide Total:$585,174,222
Reported Budget:$140 million
When a character who was previously unknown to most moviegoers ends up grossing almost over $100 million domestically and goes on to make over half a billion worldwide, that’s a recipe for success. IfIron Manhad flopped, the state of the MCU would look very different. It arguably may not even exist.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Opening Weekend:$55,414,050
Domestic Total:$134,806,913
Worldwide Total:$263,427,551
Reported Budget:$150 million
If any film in the MCU could be qualified as a flop, it’sThe Incredible Hulk. To be fair, Marvel didn’t quite know what it was yet, and it looks like the Hulk character didn’t really connect with audiences (which makes sense; it’s a superhero that doesn’t want to do anything spectacular, and so you have a guy who hates being the thing that audience wants to see him do, which is Hulk out).
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Opening Weekend:$128,122,480
Domestic Total:$312,433,331
Worldwide Total:$623,933,331
Reported Budget:$200 million
While the story has a lot of problems,Iron Man 2performed admirably at the box office. It out-grossed the original on opening weekend and worldwide, showing that the first movie wasn’t just a fluke and neither was the MCU.
Thor (2011)
Opening Weekend:$65,723,338
Domestic Total:$181,030,624
Worldwide Total:$449,326,618
While neitherThororCaptain America: The First Avengeroutdid the firstIron Man, they had a taller order, and based on a tougher concept and selling a new character, they did admirably. They showed that the studio was reaching audiences even if the film wasn’t a phenomenon.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Opening Weekend:$65,058,524
Domestic Total:$176,654,505
Worldwide Total:$370,569,774
Again, if you look at the film laying the groundwork, it’s a success. It’s not a smash, and Marvel probably wouldn’t be happy if it kept performing at this level, but it’s good enough to let the studio know that people want to see the character inThe Avengers.
The Avengers (2012)
Opening Weekend:$207,438,708
Domestic Total:$623,357,910
Worldwide Total:$1,518,812,988
Reported Budget:$220 million
Marvel spent more on this film than they had on any other to date, but it made sense. This is what it was all leading up to, and their bet paid off big. At the time, it was the highest grossing opening weekend of all time and it currently stands as the 5th-highest grossing film of all time.
So, yeah. It did alright.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Opening Weekend:$174,144,585
Domestic Total:$409,013,994
Worldwide Total:$1,214,811,252
One could argue that the film’s inflated box office was coasting off how wellAvengersdid, and while you might be able to make that argument for its opening weekend, you don’t get to over a billion dollars unless audiences like what you’re doing.Iron Man 3is drastically different than every other MCU film, but audiences went for it.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Opening Weekend:$85,737,841
Domestic Total:$206,362,140
Worldwide Total:$644,571,402
Reported Budget:$170 million
Thor: The Dark Worlddid slightly better than the original, but not by a large amount. It’s a franchise that Marvel clearly hasn’t quite cracked with regards to domestic audiences, so it’s not a surprise thatThor: Ragnaroklooks radically different than the first two movies.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Opening Weekend:$95,023,721
Domestic Total:$259,766,572
Worldwide Total:$714,264,267
On the other hand,The Winter Soldierwas a huge leap over the first movie when it came to the box office. The film grossed almost double of whatThe First Avengermade worldwide. It shows that audiences had sparked not only to the character, but also to the Russo Brothers' take on his world.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Opening Weekend:$94,320,883
Domestic Total:$333,176,600
Worldwide Total:$773,328,629
The success ofGuardians of the Galaxyspeaks to both the power of Marvel’s brand and James Gunn’s unique take.Guardiansis incredibly different than other Marvel movies, but the Marvel brand got people to come out on opening weekend and people liked Gunn’s vision so much that it grossed almost three-quarters of a billion dollars worldwide.
