Avengers: Endgame retakes global box office crown from Avatar
Avengers: Endgame is once again the highest-grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office.
Disney's Marvel sequel reached a global total — all markets combined — of $2.9255 billion in US dollars as of 4 October 2026, moving past Avatar's $2.9237 billion, according to figures reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The gap is under $2 million. On a chart measured in billions, that is a photo finish.
The final push came from a rerelease. In its second weekend back in theatres, the film added $4.4 million domestically, the United States and Canada, and $14.4 million overseas, according to studio estimates reported Sunday. Small numbers by Marvel standards. Enough to change the record.
Disney timed the outing, titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, to drum up excitement for Avengers: Doomsday, The Hollywood Reporter reported. The Encore run began exclusively in theatres on 25 September 2026, according to Marvel. Doomsday is scheduled to open in theatres on 18 December 2026, according to Marvel.
Endgame and Avatar have traded this crown for years. Avatar, released in theatres by 20th Century Fox in 2009, held the global record for a decade until Endgame passed it in 2019. Avatar then reclaimed the lead with a rerelease ahead of the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. Endgame has now taken it back the same way.
The rivalry has always been close. When Endgame first closed in during July 2019, it stood at $2.7892 billion globally through the Friday before the record fell, just $500,000 behind Avatar's $2.7897 billion at the time.
Endgame has chased records since its debut. It opened day-and-date on 26 April with $1.2236 billion globally, according to the Walt Disney Company, and became the fastest film to reach $2 billion. The Encore return also opened strongly, with $86 million globally in its first weekend, including $26 million domestically and $60 million overseas, according to studio estimates reported on 27 September 2026 by Variety.
What makes this stand out is the method. No new footage drove the result, just audiences returning to a familiar story before the next chapter arrives in December.
