Only 1 Avenger Has Out-Performed Deadpool At The Box Office (& He Won"t Be Beaten)

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The box-office success of Deadpool & Wolverine has solidified Deadpool as one of the top-grossing heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it is unlikely he will ever take the top slot. While Deadpool's Easter Eggs helped to increase audience anticipation for the film, it was through compelling storytelling that Deadpool & Wolverine endeared itself to audiences and became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. With the film still in theaters, it appears there is even more success to be had - however, it will not be able to unseat the enormous box office success of Marvel's top-grossing franchise.
Much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's success has been built on crossovers, and Deadpool & Wolverine's cameos certainly contributed to this. The initial Avengers initiative was a groundbreaking cinematic achievement that saw multiple superhero franchises crossing over in exciting and effective ways. The size of that universe has grown immense, however, with even Deadpool & Wolverine's ending allowing it to cross into other universes. All of this has allowed the entire franchise to succeed, although only one character can be their most popular.
Spider-Man Is Now The Only Avenger Who Has Taken More Box Office Money Than Deadpool Thor, Wolverine, And Iron Man Take Slots 3 Through 5 Respectively Close Spider-Man is the only MCU hero whose franchise has grossed more than Deadpool. In total, Spider-Man films across all four franchises have grossed $8,963,588,797, with the Tom Holland MCU films accounting for $3,920,121,775. Across three films, this is an average of more than $1.3 billion per film. This is an incredible number, and is an astonishing contrast to the other heroes in the MCU. With the Marvel box office top 3 changing so recently, this highlights the importance of the studio focusing on these esteemed heroes.
Titular Marvel Character
Total MCU Box Office
Spider-Man
$3,920,121,775
Deadpool
$2,855,547,801
Thor
$2,705,339,993
Wolverine
$2,435,016,309
Iron Man
$2,421,720,208
Captain America
$2,236,871,251
Black Panther
$2,188,142,628
Doctor Strange
$1,628,568,160
Ant-Man
$1,605,638,412
Captain Marvel
$1,329,282,344
The Wasp
$1,086,779,963
Hulk
$510,605,538
While the Avengers team-up films have been an essential part of the franchise's box office, it is clear that the deal between Sony and Disney to include Spider-Man in their series has been lucrative for both parties. He remains perhaps the most popular superhero, and it is unlikely that his top-grossing spot will be taken away anytime soon. While Deadpool is an extremely popular character, and his franchise has now made an incredible $2,855,547,801 across three films, Spider-Man is a true phenomenon that can stand alone.
Why The MCU's Spider-Man Made So Much Money Spider-Man Is Perhaps The Most Popular Marvel Character Ever Close Spider-Man has been one of the most popular superheroes since he first debuted in the 1960s in Amazing Fantasy. The character is a young, relatable hero that has struggled with real-world problems. This humanizing of the superheroic has created an empathetic and relatable figure that audiences have adored and rushed to see in theaters for decades. The building of this brand has compounded with several celebrated franchises, and the quality of the Spider-Man films has allowed audiences to consistently see some of the best offerings in superhero history.
Tom Holland and Zendaya are two of the biggest stars in the world, and their films have garnered PG-13 rather than R ratings, allowing for wide audiences to attend the films. As a result, the size and scope of the Spider-Man franchise as a whole is only rivaled by the entire MCU Avengers series. This was proven with the crossover success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Through cartoons, comics, and film, Spider-Man has solidified himself as perhaps the most popular superhero in the world, and the MCU showcases all the greatest strengths of the hero and his on-screen history.
Spider-Man Will Pull Even Further Ahead Soon Spider-Man 4 Is In Active Development At Marvel And Sony Close A fourth Spider-Man film in the MCU is coming soon, and it is not clear if Deadpool will even receive another film in the franchise. Andrew Garfield has responded to rumors about returning for the film, and it is clearly in active development at the studio, with Kevin Feige revealing in July 2024 that a script for Spider-Man 4 was in progress.
With Sony's universe of Spider-Man characters failing to connect with the box office failures of Morbius and Madame Web, the importance of Spider-Man to their studio has become even more dire. Moving forward with Spider-Man 4 sooner than later is a must, especially since the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home left the hero on something of a definite cliffhanger, with his life subject to major changes.
Following the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it is almost guaranteed that the next Spider-Man film will be an enormous box office hit. Even if Spider-Man 4 fails to totally capture the magic of its predecessor, a box office tally that approaches a billion dollars is all but guaranteed, given how many want to see how the film follows up on No Way Home's story and success. Tom Holland and the cast have only become more popular, and a future installment - whether a street-level feature, or a multiversal teamup - will allow Spider-Man's box office total to grow even larger.

Related What Will Spider-Man 4's Title Be? 10 Predictions The title of Tom Holland"s eagerly awaited next Spider-Man film will surely give audiences good insight into the film’s direction and plot.
Deadpool & Wolverine's box office success has been an incredible victory for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the popularity of the Deadpool character can no longer be disputed. Deadpool is now among the most beloved Marvel heroes, and the box office he has reaped proves it. Since a Deadpool 4 movie has not been confirmed, it may be some time before audiences see the hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe again. If he does return, however, it will be a very big deal.

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
Created by Kevin Feige First Film Iron Man Upcoming MCU Movies