Top Earning Superhero Movies
No adjustment in this list for inflation or ticket pricing.
For an example of the effect of inflation adjustment, the Tim Burton Batman from 1989 earned $411 million, adjusted for inflation, that converts into $1.2 billion in 2023 dollars; another example, Superman from 1978 earned $300 million converts to $1.444 Billion in 2023.
Another example: in 1989, the average movie ticket price was $3.97. In the year 2023, it is $10.45, that difference means that (hypothetically) the number of tickets sold for Batman 1989 would equal an earnings of $1,081,851,385.39 in 2023. But that doesn't really cover all the differences, because the higher costing IMAX and other specialty screen showings that are a part of the movie earning landscape today was simply not part of the movie offerings of 1989.
Top Earning World Wide Superhero Films
List Updated April 4, 2023
*Currently in release in movie theatres
- Avengers: Endgame (2019 Walt Disney/Marvel) $2,797,800,564 worldwide
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018 Walt Disney/Marvel) $2,048,359,754 worldwide
- Spider-Man No Way Home(2021 Sony) $1,901,231,491 worldwide earnings [Production budget of $200 million].
- The Avengers (2012 Marvel Studios) $1,511,757,910 Billion
- Avengers Age of Ultron (2015 Marvel Studios) $1.402 Billion
- Black Panther (2018 Walt Disney/Marvel) $1,346,913,161
- Iron Man 3 (2013 Marvel Studios) $1,212,795,474 Billion
- Captain America Civil War: $1,153,294,011
- Aquaman (2018 Warner Bros) $1,148,461,807 worldwide
- Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019 Walt Disney/Marvel) $1,131,927,996 worldwide
- Captain Marvel (2019 Walt Disney Marvel) $1,128,274,794 worldwide
- Dark Knight Rises (2012 Warners) 1,081,036,828 Billion
- Joker (2019 Warner Bros) $1,074,251,311 worldwide
- The Dark Knight (2008 Warners Bros) $1,004,558,444 Billion
- Doctor Strange II: Madness of the Multiverse (2022 Disney-Marvel) $954,863,075 worldwide earnings [Production budget of $200 million].
- Spiderman 3 (2007 Sony) $890.9 Million
- Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice (Warners 2016) $872,662,631
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017 Marvel-Disney) $863,365,406 Worldwide
- Black Panther Wakanda Forever (Disney-Marvel 2022) $858,795,093 worldwide earnings [Production budget of $200 million].
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017 Walt Disney/Marvel) $853,977,126 worldwide
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (Sony 2017) $823,973,588
- Spiderman (2002 Sony) $821.7 Million
- Wonder Woman (2017 Warners) $816,501,312 Million
- Deadpool 2 (2018 20th Century Fox) $785,794,179 worldwide
- Spiderman 2 (2004 Sony) $783.8 Million
- Deadpool (Fox and Marvel) - $778,682,681
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014 Marvel) $772.152 Million ($332 million domestic)
- The Batman (2020 Warner Bros) $770,345,583 worldwide earnings [Production budget of $180 million].
- Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney-Marvel 2022) $760,745,764 worldwide earnings [Production budget of $250 million].
- Amazing Spider-Man (2012 Sony) $752,216,557 ($262,030,663 Domestic)
- X-Men Days of Future Past (2014 Fox) $746,045,700 Million
- Suicide Squad (Warners 2016) $744,285,963
- Captain America 2 - The Winter Soldier (Marvel-Sony-Perception) $714,083,572 Million
- Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Columbia/Sony 2014) $708,294,944
- Ant-Man and the Wasp (2019 Walt Disney/Marvel) $622,674,139 worldwide
- Dr Strange (2016 Marvel Entertainment) $677,563,581 Worldwide
- Man of Steel (2013 Warners) $668,045,518 ($291,045,518 domestic)
- Big Hero 6 (2014 Walt Disney) $657,827,828 worldwide
- Thor The Dark World (2013 Buena Vista) $639,317,634 Million ($205,517,634 Domestic)
- The Incredibles (2004 Buena Vista - Pixar) $631.4 Million
- Hancock (2008 Sony) $624.4 Million
- Iron Man 2 (2010 Paramount) $623.9 Million
- Logan (2017 Fox) $617,415,993 million
- Transformers: The Last Knight (2017 Paramount) $605,425,157 Worldwide
- Iron Man (2008 Paramount) $585.2 Million
- Kong: Skull Island (2017 Warners) - $566,152,812 Worldwide
- X-Men Apocalypse(Fox) $543,368,024 worldwide
- Venom: Let There be Carnage (2021 Sony) $501,027,511
- Ant-Man (Marvel Studios 2015) $493.8
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Paramount 2014) $493,333,584
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023 Disney-Marvel) $473,056,931 worldwide earnings [Production budget of estimated at $200 million].
- X-Men The Last Stand (2006 Fox) $459.4 Million
- Thor (2011 Paramount) $449.3 Million ($181,030,624 Domestic)
- Shang Chi (2021 Disney) $432,230,054
- The Wolverine (2013 Fox) $414,828,246 ( $132,556,852 Domestic)
- Batman (1989 Warner Bros) $411.3 Million
- X-Men 2 X-Men United (Fox 2003) $407.7 Million
- Eternals (2021 Disney) $401,708,534
- Black Adam (Warner Bros 2022) $392,952,111 worldwide earnings [Production budget of $195 million].
- Superman Returns (2006 Warner Bros) $391.1 Million
- Black Widow (2021 Disney) $379,631,351
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018 Sony Pictures) $375,540,831 worldwide
- Batman Begins (2005 Warner Bros) $372.7 Million
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox 2009) $373.1 Million ($85,058,003 Domestic)
- Captain America The First Avenger (2011 Paramount) $368.6 Million
- Shazam! (2019 Warner Bros) $365,971,656 worldwide
- X-Men First Class (Fox 2011) $353.6 Million
- The Mask (New Line 1994) $351.6 Million
- Batman Forever (Warner Bros 1995) $336.5 Million
- Fantastic Four (Fox 2005) $330.6 Million
- Megamind (Paramount/Dreamworks 2010) $321.9 Million
- The LEGO Batman Movie (2017 Warners) $310,850,384 Worldwide
- Superman (Warner Bros 1978) $300.2 Million
- X-Men (2000 20th Century Fox) $296,339,528 worldwide
- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Fox 2007) $289 Million
- Batman Returns (Warner Brothers/Polygram) $266,822,354 worldwide ($162,831,698 domestic)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008 Universal Pictures) $264,770,996 worldwide
- Unbreakable (2000 Walt Disney) $248,118,121 worldwide
- Hulk (2003 Universal Pictures ) $245,285,165 worldwide
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows (Paramount 2016) $244,625,744 Worldwide
- Batman and Robin (Warner Brothers) $238,207,122 worldwide
- The Green Hornet (Sony / Columbia) $227,817,248 worldwide ($98,780,042 domestic)
- Green Lantern (2011 Warner Bros) $219,851,172 worldwide
- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017 STX Entertainment) $219,536,630 Worldwide
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (New Line 1990) $201,965,915 ($25,398,367 domestic)
- Harley Quinn Birds of Prey (2020 Warners) $201,858,461 worldwide
- Watchmen (2009 Warner Bros) $185,382,813 worldwide
- Ghost in the Shell (2017 Paramount) - $169,801,921 worldwide
- Hellboy The Golden Army (2008 Universal Pictures) $168,319,243 worldwide
- The Suicide Squad (2021 Warner) $167,400,219
- Wonder Woman 1984 (2020 Warner) $166,534,027
- Morbius (2022 Columbia Pictures) $163,865,530 worldwide earnings [Production budget of $75 million].
- Blade II (2002 New Line Cinema) $155,010,032 worldwide
- Power Rangers (2017 Lionsgate) - $140,246,402 worldwide
- V for Vendetta (2005 Warner Bros) $132,511,035 worldwide
- Blade (1998 New Line Cinema) $131,183,530 worldwide
- Blade: Trinity (2004 New Line) - $128,905,366 worldwide
- Shazam Fury O' the Gods (2023 DC Warner Bros) $120,275,118 worldwide earnings [Production budget of estimated at $100 million].
- Judge Dredd (1995 Walt Disney) $113,493,481 worldwide
- Superman II (1980 Warner Bros) $108,185,706 (domestic)
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24 Studios 2022) $107,366,679 worldwide earnings [Production budget of $25 million].
- Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017 Fox) - $104,685,194 worldwide
- Hellboy (2009 Revolution Studios) $99,378,985 worldiwde
- Kick-Ass (2010 Lionsgate) - $96,188,903 worldwide
- TMNT (2007 Warner Bros) $95,802,916 worldwide
- Spawn (1997 New Line Cinema) $87,840,042 worldwide
- Sky High (2005 Walt Disney) $86,369,815 worldwide
- Catwoman (2004 Warner Bros) $82,102,379 worldwide
- Kick-Ass II (2013 Lionsgate) - $60,795,985 worldwide
- Teen Titans Go! (2018 Warner Bros) $52,090,236 worldwide
- The Crow (1994 Miramax) - $50,693,129 domestic
- Darkman (1990 Universal Pictures ) $48,878,502 worldwide
- The Shadow (1994 Universal Pictures) $48,063,435 worldwide
- The Rocketeer (1991 Buena Vista) - $46,704,056 domestic/worldwide
- Hellboy (2019 Lionsgate) $44,664,690 worldwide
- Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021 Paramount) $40,064,325
- Mystery Men (1999 Universal Pictures) $33,461,011 Wworldwide
- Bloodshot (2020 Sony) 28,428,855 Worldwide
- The Powerpuff Girls (2002 Warner Bros) $16,426,471 worldwide
- Supergirl (1984 Tristar) $14,296,438 (domestic)
- Punisher: War Zone (2008 Lionsgate) $10,161,493 worldwide
- Batman Mask of the Phantasm [1993 Warner Bros) $5,635,204 Domestic only
- The Batman Movie (1966 William Dozier Productions / 20th Century Fox) $3,900,000 box office
- The Return of Swamp Thing (1989 Millimeter Films) $192,816 worldwide
- Defender (2009 Darius Films) $44,462 Worldwide
Unknown Box Office
Swamp Thing (1982 Embassy Pictures) Unknown box office ($3 million production budget)
The Toxic Avenger (1984) Unknown Box Office
Doc Savage (1975) Unknown Box Office
Sources
List based on world wide earnings (not domestic market earnings).
Note on sources: Boxofficemojo, Deadline Hollywood and Thenumbers
The January 2022 Top Earning List
Disney and Marvel:
The Crisis in Confidence at Marvel
Are the franchises dying? Star Wars
Disney approaches the crossroads – Summer of 2023
Disney vs its vassal companies – 2023
The Disney and Marvel future 2020 and beyond
Marvel summary of productions, November 2020
Marvel's plans mean expansion 2020
Kicking Marvel in the kneecaps 2019
Disney Buys Marvel Comics for $4 billion - 2009 The House of Mouse buys the House of Ideas
Disney spends $71.3 billion to get 21st Century Fox - March 2019
Disney Movies:
Star Wars: The Rise O'Skywalker Log
Captain Marvel II - the Superman problem: the hero is an overpowered, unrelatable hero
Marvel currently rules the cinematic world - May 2019
My Marvel Wish List - March 2019
Comic Book Movies
The Coming Comic Book Movies 2023-2026
Top Earning Comic Book Superhero Movies
Screen Reviews
Short Review: She-Hulk, Attorney-at-Law
Fast review: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves – a Film with antecedents – Harry Potter plus Guardians of the Galaxy plus Lord of the Rings, etc.
Fast review: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves – a Film with antecedents – Harry Potter plus Guardians of the Galaxy plus Lord of the Rings, etc.
Original Page May 2012 | Updated December 28, 2021