For nearly 40 years, Marvel Comics characters have been gracing the big screens in movie theaters around the globe. Kicking off in 1986 with Howard the Duck, there have been 70 theatrically-released films featuring these beloved comic book characters--but not all of them are in the MCU. Even before Howard the Duck, there were made for TV films and serials featuring Captain America, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Hulk, and more, but when it comes to Marvel properties, which movies made the most money in the box office? Currently, 13 Marvel movies have grossed more than a billion dollars--three of which reached that level after being adjusted for inflation, which is an incredible accomplishment.
It's no secret that Marvel makes Hollywood money. Since the debut of the MCU with Iron Man in 2008, Marvel movies have brought in billions of dollars of revenue. Some of these movies alone--like Avengers: Infinity War--made a billion during their theatrical run. However, not every movie that features a Marvel character has struck gold. Some of these movies didn't make a ton of money during their theatrical releases.
Originally, Marvel worked with other studios--and eventually on its own--to bring some of its classic comic book heroes to life on the big screen. Looking back, it's crazy to think that Howard The Duck was the first Marvel character to get a big screen, feature-length movie. However, back then, Marvel wasn't as interested in making films in-house and sold the rights to its characters to the highest bidder.
Because other companies own the rights to some of Marvel's properties, characters from all across the Marvel universe have been featured in twice as many films as DC. This includes characters from The Avengers, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and more. Here is how all those films did in the box office, in order by worldwide totals, adjusted for inflation.
Check out how DC's films did at the box office here.
Box office numbers and information came from IMDb and Box Office Mojo.
The Punisher (1989)
The late '80s Punisher film was full of bad dialogue, a cheesy plot, and many unmemorable moments. Somehow, the Dolph Lungren driven film found a cult following.
Worldwide total: $533,411 (Adjusted for Inflation: $1,036,873)
The Punisher was only released in Europe.
Man-Thing (2005)
Man-Thing went straight to the Syfy Channel in the States; however, it did get a small release in Europe.
Worldwide total: $1,123,136 (Adjusted for Inflation: $1,386,167)
Punisher: War Zone (2008)
The over-the-top, ultra-violent Punisher: War Zone didn't have the box office success it hoped for, even with the Punisher spinning from a chandelier, shooting people.
US: $8,050,977 (Adjusted for Inflation: $9,013,304)
Worldwide total: $10,100,036 (Adjusted for Inflation: $11,307,285)
The New Mutants (2020)
The New Mutants had a series of delays, before the COVID-19 pandemic caused even more.
US: 23,852,659
Worldwide total: $49,169,594
The Punisher (2004)
Thomas Jane played Frank Castle in the highly-anticipated 2004 film, but it received mixed reviews, even with WWE wrestler Kevin Nash playing one of the villains.
US: $33,810,189 (Adjusted for Inflation: $43,142,087)
Worldwide total: $54,700,105 (Adjusted for Inflation: $69,797,797)
Elektra (2005)
Spinning out of 2003's Daredevil, Jennifer Garner starred as the titular Elektra in this critically panned film.
US: $24,409,722 (Adjusted for Inflation: $30,126,321)
Worldwide total: $56,681,566 (Adjusted for Inflation: $69,956,023)
Howard the Duck (1986)
Most people remember only a couple things from Howard the Duck: Lea Thompson having sex with the titular character and a topless female duck. It was a pretty weird film.
US: $16,295,774 (Adjusted for Inflation: $35,838,510)
Worldwide total: $37,962,774 (Adjusted for Inflation: $83,489,699)
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)
The Ghost Rider sequel didn't win over American moviegoers as much as the rest of the world, with the majority of its box office coming from other countries.
US: $51,774,002 (Adjusted for Inflation: $54,354,651)
Worldwide total: $132,563,930 (Adjusted for Inflation: $139,171,513)
Blade: Trinity (2004)
The third and final Blade film had the titular character joining up with the famed Nightstalkers to hunt vampires.
US: $52,411,906 (Adjusted for Inflation: $66,878,035)
Worldwide total: $128,905,366 (Adjusted for Inflation: $164,484,338)
Morbius (2022)
The first Sony/Marvel release of the year, people weren't clamoring to get to the theater to see this one.
US: $73,865,530
Worldwide total: $167,460,961
Fantastic Four (2015)
Last year's Fantastic Four was a bit of a mess, but it still managed to pull in over $100 million from the rest of the world.
US: $56,117,548 (Adjusted for Inflation: $57,069,583)
Worldwide total: $167,977,596 (Adjusted for Inflation: $170,827,340)
Blade (1998)
Blade was the film that really kicked off the comic book movie craze that's been running for 18 years now.
US: $70,087,718 (Adjusted for Inflation: $103,642,965)
Worldwide total: $131,183,530 (Adjusted for Inflation: $193,989,053)
Blade II (2002)
The sequel to Blade did well, and it helped studios realize that mass audiences have a thirst for superheroes.
US: $82,348,319 (Adjusted for Inflation: $110,333,930)
Worldwide total: $155,010,032 (Adjusted for Inflation: $207,689,316)
Daredevil (2003)
The only superhero film to feature a fight on a see-saw didn't have a great reach to the international market.
US: $102,543,518 (Adjusted for Inflation: $134,330,893)
Worldwide total: $179,179,718 (Adjusted for Inflation: $234,723,482)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
The fourth movie in the second X-Men franchise failed to impress critics and fans.
US: $65,845,974
Worldwide total: $252,442,974
Ghost Rider (2007)
Nicolas Cage suited up as Johnny Blaze in what many comic book fans consider to be an entirely forgettable film.
US: $115,802,596 (Adjusted for Inflation: $134,622,151)
Worldwide total: $228,738,393 (Adjusted for Inflation: $265,911,608)
Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)
Ant-Man And The Wasp pulled in over $160 million its opening weekend.
US: $133,083,084
Worldwide total: $284,015,699
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Incredible Hulk was the second film in Marvel's Cinematic Universe. This was the only film in which Edward Norton played Bruce Banner.
US: $134,806,913 (Adjusted for Inflation: $150,920,278)
Worldwide total: $263,427,551 (Adjusted for Inflation: $294,914,841)
Hulk (2003)
Ang Lee's Hulk was incredibly stylized and very ambitious. While it did well worldwide, it received mixed reviews.
US: $132,177,234 (Adjusted for Inflation: $173,150,739)
Worldwide total: $245,360,480 (Adjusted for Inflation: $321,419,561)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
The Fantastic Four sequel strayed a bit from its comic roots and may have added a bit too much humor for many purists' liking.
US: $131,921,738 (Adjusted for Inflation: $153,360,881)
Worldwide total: $289,047,763 (Adjusted for Inflation: $336,022,102)
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Spider-Verse won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
US: $190,241,310
Worldwide total: $375,540,831
X-Men: First Class (2011)
This 2011 X-Men film went back in time, to the '70s, to examine how the first X-Men team came together.
US: $146,408,305 (Adjusted for Inflation: $156,886,822)
Worldwide total: $353,624,124 (Adjusted for Inflation: $378,933,184)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Chris Evans made his debut as Steve Rogers in this World War II film, which featured a CG'ed Evans to make him look scrawny.
US: $176,654,505 (Adjusted for Inflation: $189,297,758)
Worldwide total: $370,569,774 (Adjusted for Inflation: $397,091,643)
Fantastic Four (2005)
Fox's Fantastic Four introduced the world to the famed comic book family and was as big of a hit ovearseas as it was in America.
US: $154,696,080 (Adjusted for Inflation: $190,924,903)
Worldwide total: $330,579,719 (Adjusted for Inflation: $407,999,356)
X-Men (2000)
Hugh Jackman made his debut as Wolverine in 2000's X-Men.
US: $157,299,717 (Adjusted for Inflation: $220,181,238)
Worldwide total: $296,339,527 (Adjusted for Inflation: $414,803,059)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Although many people consider it to be the worst of all the X-Men films, X-Men Origins: Wolverine still pulled in more money than the first X-Men movie.
US: $179,883,157 (Adjusted for Inflation: $202,103,489)
Worldwide total: $373,062,864 (Adjusted for Inflation: $419,146,005)
Black Widow (2021)
Black Widow was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and also saw a release on Disney+ at the same time as theaters.
US: $183,651,655
Worldwide total: $379,751,655
Eternals (2021)
Eternals was Marvel's first team movie of Phase 4, introducing a whole slew of new characters to fans.
US: $164,870,234
Worldwide total: $402,064,899
The Wolverine (2013)
The sequel to the worst X-Men film did a bit better, but mainly because it resonated more with a global audience.
US: $132,550,960 (Adjusted for Inflation: $137,148,994)
Worldwide total: $414,828,246 (Adjusted for Inflation: $429,218,142)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang-Chi released in theaters as theaters across the world were slowly starting to reopen.
US: $224,543,292
Worldwide total: $432,243,292
Thor (2011)
The god of thunder got his own solo film in 2011, which did very well overseas.
US: $181,030,624 (Adjusted for Inflation: $193,987,078)
Worldwide total: $449,439,994 (Adjusted for Inflation: $481,606,645)
Thor: Love And Thunder
The fourth installment of the Thor franchise sees Taika Waititi return to direct. The film's opening weekend pulled in over $300 million.
US: $233,903,308 (as of July 19)
Worldwide Total: $499,856,641 (as of July 19)
Ant-Man (2015)
Once again, the world market came out in droves to see another Marvel film, which featured a superhero who controls ants.
US: $180,202,163 (Adjusted for Inflation: $183,259,297)
Worldwide total: $519,250,779 (Adjusted for Inflation: $528,059,882)
X2: X-Men United (2003)
X2 had some of the coolest scenes in all of the X-Men franchise.
US: $214,949,694 (Adjusted for Inflation: $281,581,762)
Worldwide total: $407,711,549 (Adjusted for Inflation: $534,097,697)
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
While it didn't have the same draw as the first movie, Let There Be Carnage still did fairly well--and it was also released during the pandemic.
US: $213,550,366
Worldwide total: $506,863,592
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
The latest X-Men film made the bulk of its money overseas.
US: $155,442,489
Worldwide total: $534,619,896
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
The final--and worst--of the original X-Men trilogy brought in the most money.
US: $234,362,462 (Adjusted for Inflation: $280,209,618)
Worldwide total: $459,359,555 (Adjusted for Inflation: $549,221,767)
Logan (2017)
Fox tries its hand at another Rated R comic book film, featuring Logan slashing his way through everyone.
US: $226,275,826
Worldwide: $616,189,858
Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man was the movie that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though--at the time--mass audiences weren't very familiar with the character, it was still a box office success.
US: $318,412,101 (Adjusted for Inflation: $356,471,651)
Worldwide total: $585,174,222 (Adjusted for Inflation: $655,119,641)
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World wasn't a critical hit, but it did bring in around $180 million more than the first film.
US: $206,321,198 (Adjusted for Inflation: $213,478,233)
Worldwide total: $644,783,140 (Adjusted for Inflation: $667,149,896)
Big Hero 6 (2014)
While Big Hero 6 was a gigantic departure from the source material, this animated feature from Disney did great in the States and even better worldwide.
US: $222,527,828 (Adjusted for Inflation: $226,571,635)
Worldwide total: $657,127,828 (Adjusted for Inflation: $669,069,247)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange did decently in the United States, but it made the bulk of its money internationally.
US: $231,901,043
Worldwide total: $670,042,595
Iron Man 2 (2010)
The followup to Iron Man did exceptionally well across the globe.
US: $312,433,331 (Adjusted for Inflation: $345,362,224)
Worldwide total: $623,933,331 (Adjusted for Inflation: $689,692,749)
Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Amazing Spider-Man 2 may not have been a huge hit in the States, but it killed overseas.
US: $202,853,933 (Adjusted for Inflation: $206,540,223)
Worldwide total: $708,982,323 (Adjusted for Inflation: $721,866,049)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
One of Marvel's best solo superhero films, Winter Solider made the bulk of its money overseas.
US: $259,766,572 (Adjusted for Inflation: $264,487,086)
Worldwide total: $714,766,572 (Adjusted for Inflation: $727,755,411)
Deadpool 2 (2018)
Deadpool 2 didn't makes as much its opening weekend but still had a good weekend.
US: $316,242,407
Worldwide total: $730,993,337
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Love and Thunder is the first solo MCU movie to have a fourth installment.
US: $343,256,830
Worldwide total: $760,928,081
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
The time-travelling sequel to X-Men: First Class did very well.
US: $233,921,534 (Adjusted for Inflation: $238,172,389)
Worldwide total: $748,121,534 (Adjusted for Inflation: $761,716,504)
Deadpool (2016)
In a surprise to many people, an R-rated superhero film did very well in the box office.
US: $363,070,709
Worldwide total: $782,603,445
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Many moviegoers consider Guardians of the Galaxy to be the best team movie Marvel has put out to date. Sorry, Avengers.
US: $333,176,600 (Adjusted for Inflation: $339,231,132)
Worldwide total: $774,176,600 (Adjusted for Inflation: $788,245,046)
Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
The Spider-Man reboot wasn't as great as fans hoped, but it still did well in the box office.
US: $262,030,663 (Adjusted for Inflation: $275,091,452)
Worldwide total: $757,930,663 (Adjusted for Inflation: $795,709,344)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
The Black Panther follow-up didn't make as big of waves as the first film, but still did well around the globe.
US: $450,201,190
Worldwide total: $837,510,597
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The third installment in the Thor series raked in over $100 million its opening weekend in the United States.
US: $314,647,663
Worldwide: $853,471,734
Venom (2018)
Critically, it was a bomb, but Venom still pulled in over $800 million.
US: $213,515,506
Worldwide total: $855,013,954
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is turning out to be a hit. Star-Lord learns his father is from the stars and more than just a humanoid.
US: $389,813,101
Worldwide total: $863,563,831
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The first Spider-Man film to exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe had a good opening weekend, pulling in $117 million. It still has a long way to go to catch up with Sam Raimi's films from last decade.
US: $334,201,140
Worldwide: $880,166,924
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
The Doctor Strange sequel came incredibly close to the billion dollar mark.
US: $411,331,607
Worldwide total: $955,775,804
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man follow-up also did great.
US: $373,585,825 (Adjusted for Inflation: $476,698,677)
Worldwide total: $783,766,341 (Adjusted for Inflation: $1,000,092,489)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
While Spider-Man 3 made a ton of money, it's considered to be a terrible film.
US: $336,530,303 (Adjusted for Inflation: $391,221,224)
Worldwide total: $890,871,626 (Adjusted for Inflation: $1,035,650,832)
Spider-Man (2002)
Spider-Man was the first Marvel film to reach a billion dollars, when adjusted for inflation and held quite a few other records.
US: $403,706,375 (Adjusted for Inflation: $540,903,708)
Worldwide total: $821,708,551 (Adjusted for Inflation: $1,100,961,565)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Marvel's first female-led superhero movie took in $153 million its opening weekend.
US: $420,768,018
Worldwide total: $1,120,068,018
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
The Homecoming follow-up exceeded expectations, as Peter and friends headed to Europe.
US: $390,532,085
Worldwide total: $1,131,927,996
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The latest Captain America film has heroes fighting heroes, so of course, people went to the movie in droves.
US: $407,264,745
Worldwide total: $1,151,852,525
Iron Man 3 (2013)
The final Iron Man film did exceptionally well.
US: $409,013,994 (Adjusted for Inflation: $423,202,200)
Worldwide total: $1,215,439,994 (Adjusted for Inflation: $1,257,602,155)
Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther made close to $200 million its opening weekend, setting a box office record for a movie opening in February. It hit a new record after the weekend of March 10 as it made $1 billion worldwide.
US: $699,625,301
Worldwide total: $1,346,148,876
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
The Avengers sequel pulled in almost a billion dollars overseas alone.
US: $459,005,868 (Adjusted for Inflation: $466,792,915)
Worldwide total: $1,405,035,767 (Adjusted for Inflation: $1,428,872,237)
Avengers (2012)
Finally, sitting pretty at the top spot is the first Avengers film.
US: $623,357,910 (Adjusted for Inflation: $654,428,878)
Worldwide total: $1,518,594,910 (Adjusted for Inflation: $1,594,288,526)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
To date, No Way Home is most successful Sony/Marvel movie released.
US: $804,667,830
Worldwide total: $1,892,667,830
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
In its opening weekend, Infinity War pulled in more than half a billion dollars.
US: $676,024,817
Worldwide total: $2,042,198,866
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Endgame made $169 million its opening day, internationally. Over the first weekend, it made $1.2 billion, which is a new record for weekend gross. Check out GameSpot's review of the film.
US: $770,805,870
Worldwide Total: $2,614,805,870
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