After conceding defeat to James Cameron's 2009 movie Avatar, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige surprised everyone at San Diego Comic-Con by announcing that Avengers: Endgame was now the biggest movie of all time.
When Endgame first began its theatrical run, many speculated that its explosive opening weekend would surely put it on track to defeat Avatar for ticket sales. However, sales slowed down and the projection was changed, as the movie seemed to maintain and hold second place. When the announcement was made at Comic-Con, $500,000 was still needed for Endgame to topple Avatar, but that amount was estimated to be reached within a day.
Getting to this spot was no small feat, and Disney and Marvel Studios pulled out all the stops to make the goal a reality. Recently, the movie saw a re-release of a slightly different version on June 28, which drew in even more viewers with a deleted scene, a Stan Lee tribute, and a proper post-credits scene that fans have come to expect.
Disney is one of the most profitable franchises in the world. Who would have believed ten years ago that Iron Man would launch another twenty-two movies and propel the MCU towards the massive conclusion of Endgame?
The future now looks incredibly bright for the MCU as it enters into Phase 4. The upcoming projects include:
- May 1, 2020: Black Widow
- Fall, 2020: Untitled
- Nov. 6, 2020: The Eternals
- Feb. 12, 2021: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Spring, 2021: WandaVision (Disney+ series)
- May 7, 2021: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Spring, 2021: Loki (Disney+ series)
- Summer, 2021: Untitled
- Fall, 2021: Falcon and Winter Soldier (Disney+ series)
- Nov. 5, 2021: Thor 4: Love and Thunder
The future looks bright for Marvel, and many fans are wondering what the MCU has in store for us. There is no doubt that nothing will top Endgame for some fans.
Given how popular Marvel has been lately, there is little reason to doubt that it could not again recreate the same grand network of movies that tie into one massive story. However, this might be harder to do if it lacks a unified group like The Avengers.
For now, all we can do is wait and keep guessing, as the next big movie is right around the corner. Black Widow will be out in spring of 2020.