Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame has dethroned Avatar to become the highest-grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office.
The superhero epic, directed Anthony and Joe Russo, has earned USD 2.9 billion by Sunday since its release in April. James Cameron's Avatar, which was released in 2009, held the record previously at USD 2.79 billion.
‘Endgame’ has been in theatres for 13 weeks and Disney recently re-released the movie with additional footage. Marvel Studios re-released the movie with with a special tribute to Stan Lee, a deleted scene from ‘Endgame’ and a teaser for Spider-Man: Far From Home at the end of the credits.
Avengers: Endgame is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the fourth in the ‘Avengers’ series. It had earned USD 1.22 billion in its April release, achieving the biggest global opening of all time, breaking the record of 2018's Avengers: Infinity War.
“A huge congratulations to the Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios teams, and thank you to the fans around the world who lifted Avengers: Endgame to these historic heights,” Alan Horn, co-chairman and chief creative officer of the Walt Disney Studios, said in a statement.
“Of course, even with the passage of a decade, the impact of James Cameron's Avatar remains as powerful as ever, and the astonishing achievements of both of these films are ongoing proof of the power of movies to move people and bring them together in a shared experience. The talented filmmakers behind these worlds have much more in store, and we look forward to the future of both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Pandora.”
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced the news at the San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday that it will be a matter of time before Avengers Endgame became “the biggest film in history”. The figures are not adjusted for inflation and Feige said if it were, Avatar would still hold the title.
After the announcement, actor Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in Avengers, thanked fans with an Instagram post. "Thank you to all the fans around the world that lifted Avengers Endgame to historic heights making it the top grossing film of all time !!"
(With inputs from agencies)