Anna Daniels
Avengers: Endgame was a critical success, an enthusiast’s dream sequence played out on the silver screen, and a box office triumph. Fandango’s site crashed when ticket purchases became available, and movie theaters spanning the globe sold out in a matter of minutes; the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s grand conclusion to a saga spanning over 20 films was arguably the most-anticipated movie of the decade.
The movie earned over $850 million, placing it in second place when analyzing the top-earning films of the last decade, according to CBS News; it’s right behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which raked in over $930 million. However, while Star Wars holds the top spot, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has three other films in the top ten list.
When it comes to making money and pleasing critics, Kevin Feige and Co. have uncovered the secret formula — a perfect combination of dazzling cinematography, captivating and complex interrelationships, stellar acting, narrative continuity. You know, all the easy stuff. So, let’s take a look and see which other MCU installments made the top ten list.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp2YlHPAyVI?start=2&feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
3. ‘The Avengers’ (2012)
The Avengers was the first, and one of the most modest of all the MCU team-ups. Featuring the OG 6 — Hulk, Black Widow, Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Thor — in one movie, The Avengers established the core group of heroes (and their respective dynamics) before the Marvel landscape branched off, adding new characters to the superhero soiree we had already come to love.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOrNdBpGMv8?start=10&feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
The Avengers earned $623 million. With Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson sharing the silver screen, there was no way this movie was going to be anything shy of utter greatness.
2. ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
The lead-in to Avengers: Endgame, many argue that Infinity War was the superior of the two last films, suggesting that — without the finality factor of Endgame at play — the narrative depth and character exploration in Infinity War is more impressive.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNnee7oIb70?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
Whether you favor Infinity War or Endgame, or you can’t decide which is better, Infinity War came in second when comparing the MCU installments’ money-making capacity, bringing in $678 million. With Spider-Man and Tony Stark’s father-son bond coming to a tear-jerking moment of fruition, this movie will not be forgotten anytime soon.
1. ‘Black Panther’ (2018)
Oscar-nominated for Best Picture, Black Panther was a very socially and politically relevant MCU installment, questioning concepts surrounding the preservation of identity and the West’s views of Africa.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr1wAjuRQGc?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
Easily one of the most fleshed-out narratives the MCU has created, Black Panther deserved the recognition it received, and it was a pleasure to see a superhero movie get the award recognition it deserved (the best picture win would have been nice though).
The performances were stellar, and the story was as grand as the beautiful visuals and costumes on display; the movie made $700 million. In the end, Black Panther, Infinity War, and The Avengers all made a great deal of money, but Endgame surpassed them all by millions.
Written by: Cheat
