‘Avengers: Endgame’ Is Closing in on a Box Office Milestone No Movie Has Ever Reached

When ‘Avengers: Endgame’ first hit theaters in April 2019, it shattered records almost instantly. Anthony and Joe Russo’s Marvel epic became the fastest film to $1 billion in just 5 days, opened to a record $1.223 billion worldwide and earned $2.797 billion during its original run.

That haul briefly made it the highest-grossing film of all time, until ‘Avatar’ reclaimed the title in March 2021 after a re-release in China. For years, it looked like James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster would hold the crown for good.

That changed this fall. Disney and Marvel Studios brought the film back to theaters on September 25 as ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’, an extended cut timed ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, and by early October it had pushed past ‘Avatar’ to reclaim the all-time record.

Now, ‘Endgame’ is chasing an even bigger achievement. The film is just $60 million shy of $3 billion worldwide, and if it gets there, it will become the first movie in history to hit that milestone.

‘AVENGERS: ENDGAME’ is just $60 million shy of $3 billion worldwide. If it gets there, it will be the first film in history to hit that milestone. https://t.co/c2zzqEB7d0

— MCU Film News (@MCUFilmNews) October 11, 2026

The ‘Encore’ re-release has played a huge role. According to Box Office Mojo, it has earned roughly $137.9 million worldwide so far, including about $39.1 million domestically and $98.8 million internationally.

The extended cut runs 185 minutes, 4 minutes longer than the original, and includes a custom introduction plus new footage. It opened to $86 million worldwide, the second-biggest global opening ever for a re-release behind only the 2012 3D return of ‘Titanic’.

New trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ In theaters December 18 https://t.co/1wsiTk1Nnv

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) August 15, 2026

Domestically, it debuted at No. 1 with $26.1 million from 3,060 theaters, beating new releases including Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’. It became the first re-release to top the U.S. box office since ‘The Lion King’ 3D in 2011.

That performance stands out because re-releases rarely earn more than $10 million. Even though ‘Endgame’ has been streaming for years, audiences still turned out in big numbers.

Much of the momentum has come from overseas. ‘Encore’ was the top non-local film in China with $21.3 million, and it also led in markets including Indonesia, Vietnam, Ecuador and Bolivia. It has become the highest-grossing re-release across Latin America, including $6.1 million in Mexico and $3.1 million in Brazil. India contributed $3.8 million as well.

Reaching $3 billion won’t be easy. ‘Encore’ saw a steep second-weekend drop, falling roughly 81% domestically to $4.4 million, as is common for re-releases. Still, every dollar now pushes the film further ahead of ‘Avatar’, which sits at about $2.924 billion. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ ranks third with around $2.5 billion, followed by ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ and ‘Ne Zha 2’.

New international poster for ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’. In theaters December 18. https://t.co/PsQa9nje3F

— Avengers Updates (@AvengersUpdated) October 12, 2026

The re-release is clearly part of a bigger strategy. Disney is using ‘Encore’ to build excitement for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, which opens on December 18 with the Russo brothers back in the director’s chair.

‘Encore’ was also the first title released under Disney’s Infinity Vision premium format, which ‘Doomsday’ will carry as well. If enthusiasm for the original is any indication, the next Avengers chapter could be another record-breaker.

Whether ‘Endgame’ crosses $3 billion before leaving theaters remains to be seen. Either way, its return to the top of the charts shows just how powerful the film remains 7 years after its debut.

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