"Avengers: Endgame" continues to rock the box office, setting all kinds of records. It now has expanded the worldwide gross of the marvel Cinematic Universe beyond the $20 billion mark. The much-anticipated superhero flick follows the events of "Infinity War," which had Thanos turn half of the universe into dust. Leaving moviegoers on a somber note, the year-long wait for "Endgame" created a strong sense of anticipation. MCU fans spent time waiting speculating on how "Spider-Man," "Black Panther" and "Doctor Strange" could be brought back to life, and how Thanos could be stopped.
The MCU has spent it's 10 years finding box office success and it was long-expected that "Endgame" would become Marvel Studio's top earner. "Endgame's" performance over the past week has been impressive. "Endgame" has earned the highest grossing single day and opening day of all time, beating out "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," with $156.7 million domestically. "Endgame" has also become the fastest movie to hit the $1 billion mark.
'Avengers: Endgame' destroying the box office
Domestically, "Endgame" managed to gross $36.7 million, second-highest total recorded on a Monday, only behind "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," in 2015. "Endgame" has now managed to hit the $2 billion mark in the same amount of time it took "Infinity War" to reach $1 billion globally.
"Endgame"s record making showings delivered a strong boost to the MCU's combined global gross that has reached $20 billion. The films most responsible for this achievement are the four Avengers Movies and the highly successful "Black Panther," film but since Marvel has not had a single financial flop, every MCU film helped contribute to this achievement.
The MCU has become very lucrative for Disney
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most lucrative movie franchise in regards to box office numbers, partially due to the number of releases under its umbrella. But the latest "Endgame" cemented that position even deeper and it's highly unlikely another property will break that record.
Now the question is, where does the MCU go now? Is the success they have seen a result of the current lineup of characters, or will moviegoers reach the point where they say they are finished with superheroes on the big screen?
Some critics have suggested that Marvel's dominance is bad for the cinema, it stunts the production of original content. Marvel fans spoke out in defense of the MCU's success, pointing out that the MCU franchise has been praised by critics and fans as long as the quality is maintained.
The MCU can still cover a variety of genres with "Ant-Man" and "Guardians of the Galaxy," working in the comedy genre and films such as "Avengers: Endgame" delivers drama. For Marvel Studios, this is the icing on the cake as it rises to box office dominance. Marvel Studios has produced half of the top 10 highest grossing films of all time.