With the help of Deadpool & Wolverine, the Marvel Cinematic Universe just crossed another crucial milestone. While Deadpool 3 is ushering in new franchises, including the upcoming X-Men movie and Fantastic Four, the Avengers franchise is still offering some support at the box office. Collectively, the MCU has dominated the box office for over 15 years, and the overall strength of Marvel Studios has only continued to rise. At the Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con, president Kevin Feige offered stunning insight into an excellent piece of financial news for the studio.

Screen Rant was present at Marvel’s panel, where Feige announced that the cinematic universe has officially crossed the $30 billion mark at the box office. After Deadpool & Wolverine earned approximately $195 million to $205 million in its opening weekend, the MCU announced the coveted distinction. It marks a unique accomplishment for Marvel Studios, which has only continued to thrive 16 years after Iron Man was released.

The MCU Has Enjoyed Unprecedented Success

No Other Franchise Has Achieved More At The Box Office

In the coming years, Marvel Studios is preparing to introduce the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to its existing line of heroes. Yet, while it prepares to add new franchises, the Avengers were the superheroes that initially launched Marvel Studios into an instant success. The original Iron Man movie earned $585.8 million on its $140 million budget, which is a paltry sum compared to some of its later offerings. Still, it proved to be the spark that ignited years of financial victories for Marvel Studios, which has now earned more at the box office than any other franchise.

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$30 billion is an incredible sum, and much of that total can be owed to the Avengers titles directly. While Black Panther, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor have all become powerful franchises with massive followings, the Avengers franchise is a box office giant. The only superhero movie to earn more than an Avengers title is Sony’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was also produced by Marvel Studios. Check out the table below, which shows just how much the Avengers movies have dominated Marvel Studios’s top 5 box office movies:

Marvel’s overall success has been stunning. While other franchises have earned more from merchandise sales or retail sales, nothing has topped the MCU at the box office. Only Harry Potter and Star Wars have come in the vicinity with approximately $10 billion each, and even their totals are just a third of Marvel’s incredible gross. When combined, they are still nowhere close to Marvel Studios’ impressive take. While Marvel has encountered some box office challenges after Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still a box office giant.