As of mid-2022, three Avengers-related movies were among Marvel Comics' presumably most profitable films. The production costs of "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), "The Avengers" (2012), and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) amounted to 356 million, 220 million, and 250 million U.S. dollars, respectively, while their global box office revenue stood, in the same order, at 2.44 billion, 1.3 billion, and 1.15 billion dollars. The movies' disclosed budgets, however, do not include spending on marketing and advertising, for instance.
Superheroes as a facet of Hollywood
Superhero movies have been on trend for years, experiencing a surge in popularity along with comics and graphic novels. But it isn’t just Marvel leading the way. DC Comics' "Aquaman" (2018) made over 335 million U.S. dollars in box office revenue worldwide, knocking 2016 movies "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad." In 2017, "Wonder Woman" grossed over 410 million dollars, beating "Justice League," which was released that same year and generated 229 million dollars in box office revenue.
A trope for the ages
Although the audience has remained loyal for years, the percentage of American adults who said they like the genre but are getting tired of superhero movies increased over the past few years, standing at 23 percent at the end of 2021. Yet the special effects and explosive battle scenes tend to benefit from the big screen. During a mid-2022 survey, blockbusters and franchise movies recorded the highest share of internet users willing to see the films in the theaters first. Over a third of the respondents said they could wait at least 45 days before this type of movie was made available on streaming platforms.
Production costs and global box office revenue of selected Marvel Comics movies from 2002 to 2022
(in million U.S. dollars)
* The source did not provide data on the production costs.
The release date given is the date of access.
Data prior to "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (2022) was retrieved from earlier releases.
Numbers have been rounded.
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Box Office Mojo. (June 28, 2022). Production costs and global box office revenue of selected Marvel Comics movies from 2002 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/323886/marvel-comics-films-production-costs-box-office-revenue/
Box Office Mojo. "Production costs and global box office revenue of selected Marvel Comics movies from 2002 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)." Chart. June 28, 2022. Statista. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/323886/marvel-comics-films-production-costs-box-office-revenue/
Box Office Mojo. (2022). Production costs and global box office revenue of selected Marvel Comics movies from 2002 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 20, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/323886/marvel-comics-films-production-costs-box-office-revenue/
Box Office Mojo. "Production Costs and Global Box Office Revenue of Selected Marvel Comics Movies from 2002 to 2022 (in Million U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 28 Jun 2022, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/323886/marvel-comics-films-production-costs-box-office-revenue/
Box Office Mojo, Production costs and global box office revenue of selected Marvel Comics movies from 2002 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/323886/marvel-comics-films-production-costs-box-office-revenue/ (last visited September 20, 2024)
Production costs and global box office revenue of selected Marvel Comics movies from 2002 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars) [Graph], Box Office Mojo, June 28, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/323886/marvel-comics-films-production-costs-box-office-revenue/