Avengers: Endgame Edges Past Avatar by About $1.8 Million at Box Office

Avengers: Endgame has taken the highest-grossing film title back from Avatar, and the margin is thin enough to hide in a rounding error. Economic Times reports that Disney's estimated Endgame total is $2.9255 billion against Avatar's $2.9237 billion, a gap of about $1.8 million.

The swing came from Avengers Endgame: Encore, a re-release that opened in theaters on September 25, 2026, according to Economic Times. Disney announced the new total on October 4.

A Record Decided by Roughly $1.8 Million

Film★ 8.2 TMDB

Avengers: Endgame

2019 · 3 h 1 min · Science Fiction · Action · Adventure

Released

24 April 2019

Runtime

3 h 1 min

Directed by

Joe Russo, Anthony Russo

Starring

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo

SaveWatch trailerTrailerFull detailsDetails

On a total near $2.9 billion, $1.8 million is a sliver. Economic Times describes Disney's figures as estimates, so the lead is real but small.

ComicBookMovie.com reaches the same verdict with slightly different numbers, putting Endgame at $2.926 billion and Avatar at $2.924 billion.

The title has changed hands before. Endgame first passed Avatar, James Cameron's 2009 film, in 2019 during its original run. Avatar took the record back in 2021, when it was re-released ahead of Avatar: The Way of Water.

The reports disagree on one date. ComicBookMovie.com says Endgame became the biggest film of all time in 2020, while Economic Times and Variety, as quoted by Slashdot, say 2019.

How the Encore Re-Release Closed a $39 Million Gap

Economic Times says Endgame stood at about $2.885 billion after the Encore's opening weekend, roughly $39 million behind Avatar. Two more weekends of play closed that gap and then some.

The re-release has earned more than $126 million worldwide, according to ComicBookMovie.com and Economic Times. Economic Times, citing TheWrap, splits that haul as follows:

• $36.2 million in North America

• $89.8 million internationally

The run is cooling, though. ComicBookMovie.com says the Encore's second weekend brought in $4.5 million in North America and $13.5 million overseas, and it calls that a significant drop.

Why the Reported Totals Do Not Match

Two outlets, two sets of figures, one winner. The totals differ by fractions of a billion dollars, which is what a race this tight looks like on paper.

Important Note: The totals are estimates, and the reports do not say whether they will be revised. They also do not say whether Avatar could retake the lead.

Disney Beats Disney, and Variety Noticed

The record fight has a twist: Disney sits on both sides of it. Slashdot reports that Avatar was released by 20th Century Fox, which Disney now owns after the companies merged in 2019.

Variety, quoted by Slashdot, framed the result as a superhero victory: "Earth's Mightiest Heroes have triumphed over the Na'vi again."

Disney's announcement, as relayed by Slashdot, adds some scoreboard of its own. The 38 Marvel Studios movies have generated more than $35 billion worldwide, and Disney is responsible for seven of the 10 highest-grossing films of all time.

Doomsday, a Slow Second Weekend, and the $3 Billion Question

The Encore is not a straight replay. Economic Times says the re-release adds four minutes of footage that may tease Avengers: Doomsday, which opens December 18, 2026. ComicBookMovie.com describes a new ending and post-credits scenes. Neither outlet details the new material.

Fans tracking the next chapter can see our Doomsday poster coverage. A $3 billion milestone looks out of reach for now. ComicBookMovie.com says Endgame will not become the first film to reach $3 billion in the coming weeks.

Avatar's own momentum is also a question. ComicBookMovie.com says Avatar: Fire and Ash grossed $1.4 billion last year and "underperformed," and that there is no word on a fourth Avatar film.

For now, Endgame holds the record by about $1.8 million on Disney's estimates. The next date on the calendar is December 18, 2026, when Doomsday opens.