Avengers: Endgame is the highest-grossing movie of all time again. A new extended re-release, Avengers: Endgame Encore, added more than $126 million worldwide and pushed the film's total to about $2.9255 billion.
That puts it only slightly ahead of Avatar, which stands at $2.9237 billion after its own string of re-releases.
How the title has changed hands
Marvel's heroes and Pandora's Na'vi have traded this record before. The back-and-forth goes like this:
- 2009 to 2019: Avatar held the top spot for nearly a decade after earning $2.789 billion in its original run.
- July 2019: Endgame passed it during its first summer in theaters, finishing around $2.797 billion.
- March 2021: A re-release of Avatar in China brought in roughly $58 million, enough to put it back on top at more than $2.8 billion.
- October 2026: The Encore cut lifts Endgame past $2.925 billion and returns it to first place.
Current all-time worldwide top five
- Avengers: Endgame (2019): $2.9255 billion
- Avatar (2009): $2.9237 billion
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day: $2.5 billion
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022): $2.34 billion
- Ne Zha 2 (2025): $2.27 billion
Why the Encore cut worked
Nostalgia was only part of it. Disney and Marvel positioned the 185-minute Encore edition as a lead-in to Avengers: Doomsday. It adds extended battle footage and a new introduction setting up the next phase of the Multiverse story.
Fans turned out in force for IMAX and Dolby Cinema screenings to see it on the biggest screens available.
Disney wins either way
Since Disney bought 21st Century Fox, both Marvel and Avatar belong to the same company. Whichever film is on top, the money goes to the same studio.
With more Avatar sequels and Avengers films on the schedule, this back-and-forth probably isn't over.
Thank you for assembling to make Avengers: Endgame the biggest movie of all time. We love you 3000. https://t.co/eZFbN1x724
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) October 4, 2026