BREAKING:‘Avengers: Endgame’ Snatches the All-Time Box Office Crown Back From ‘Avatar’ Thanks to Its ‘Encore’ Re-Release

The Russo Brothers Thank Fans After ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Reclaims Its All-Time Box Office Crown

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Few rivalries in Hollywood history have been as close as the battle between ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘Avatar’. The Marvel blockbuster first claimed the title of highest-grossing film of all time in 2019, holding it from July 2019 until March 2021, when a re-release in China helped James Cameron’s film take back the top spot.

That changed on October 4 after the second weekend of ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’. The re-release pushed the film’s worldwide total to $2.9255 billion, putting it about $1.8 million ahead of the $2.9237 billion earned by ‘Avatar’, a razor-thin margin by Hollywood standards.

The milestone didn’t go unnoticed by the people who made it. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo shared a 52-second video thanking audiences for returning to theaters for ‘Endgame Encore’ and making the film the No. 1 movie of all time, closing with a nod to the film’s most famous line by telling every fan who has been part of the journey over the last 7 years that they love them 3000.

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The sign-off was a fitting tribute. “Love you 3000” comes from Tony Stark’s heart-wrenching line to his daughter in the film, which quickly became one of the most quoted moments in MCU history.

The Russos have leaned on the phrase before. In 2019, they launched the “We Love You 3000” tour to celebrate the film’s home release, traveling to 9 US cities between San Diego Comic-Con on July 20 and Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim on August 24.

In the new video, the brothers appear side by side in casual caps and dark tops, delivering a simple message of gratitude. It’s a low-key moment, but one that clearly resonated with fans who helped push the film back to the top.

The studio also marked the occasion. Marvel Studios posted its own message on social media on October 4, writing, “Thank you for assembling to make Avengers: Endgame the biggest movie of all time. We love you 3000.”

It’s a major achievement for the franchise. Across its 38 theatrical releases, the MCU has now pulled in more than $35 billion worldwide, cementing it as the highest-grossing film series in history.

The re-release added $126 million to the film’s total, and international audiences played a key role. ‘Encore’ led international releases in Indonesia and Vietnam and became the highest-grossing re-release across Latin America, with $6.1 million in Mexico and $3.1 million in Brazil, along with $3.8 million in India.

China was especially important. Fittingly, part of the push came from the same market ‘Avatar’ used to reclaim the crown 5 years ago. The film had originally earned $2.798 billion worldwide. ‘Encore’ gave fans fresh reasons to return, with a revised ending involving Loki and new mid-credit and post-credit scenes tied to ‘Avengers: Doomsday’.

The record also sets the stage for the Russos’ next chapter. The brothers, who began their Marvel run with 2014’s ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, are directing the next 2 Avengers films, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.

Joe Russo has previously said that the pair want to outdo their younger selves with these new movies. With ‘Doomsday’ arriving on December 18, they’ll soon find out whether they can top their own record-breaking work.

Do you think ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ can match the box office success of ‘Avengers: Endgame’?

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