Opening weekends are said to be a crucial factor in determining a movie’s overall success. Whether that’s still true in current society, where things are rapidly changing as much for cinemas as for the audience itself, remains a big question within the industry. The global pandemic, COVID-19, changed the way many viewers watched movies and essentially moved the idea of streaming forward. On top of that, the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike has had a serious impact on the production and release of films and television shows, with many upcoming releases being pushed back. There are ongoing questions on whether both of these changes within the media industry will have a major effect on traditional cinema viewing.
Updated August 11, 2023: If you love the MCU, you'll be thrilled to know this article was recently updated by Robin Reynolds to further reflect recent changes to the franchise, including new opening weekends.
Regardless of what the future held, superhero blockbuster movies and television series have continued to dominate the Hollywood industry. TheMarvel Cinematic Universe has especially showcased its capability to gross remarkable amounts of money and is the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time. With so much at stake for the future of the film industry, let’s see which MCU movies of the past have had the biggest opening weekends at the box office.
15 Thor: Ragnarok – $122M
Thor: Ragnarok was a breakout hit for the MCU. The Thor franchise was popular but not as much as the Captain America or Iron Man films. Thanks to a great set of trailers, Thor: Ragnarok became one of the most anticipated movies of 2017 and pulled in an impressive $122 million in its opening weekend. This was made even more impressive; this third Thor movie grossed more in its opening weekend than DC's Justice League, which opened two weeks later.
14 Iron Man 2 – $128M
While Iron Man has become known as the birth of the MCU, Iron Man 2 was a test to see if the character and the franchise could endure. With an all-star cast consisting of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man alongside Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/ War Machine, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko/ Whiplash, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Iron Man 2 ups the ante a lot.
While the critical reaction to Iron Man 2 was less positive than its predecessor, the goodwill the first film had gained was prevalent in the film's opening weekend as it grossed $128 million in its first three days. It also scored the biggest opening weekend of 2010, beating out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, Toy Story 3, and Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
13 Thor: Love and Thunder – $144M
Disney
Despite mixed reviews Thor: Love and Thunder did surprisingly well at the box office, raking in over $140 million on its opening weekend. While critics were unsure of the direction of the film, movie-goers seemed to enjoy seeing the god of thunder in action again. Following Thor, Thor: The Dark World, and Thor: Ragnarok, as the fourth of the Thor films within the MCU, Thor: Love and Thunder became the biggest opening weekend in the Thor franchise.
Telling the story of what happens when Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who just wants some peace, is forced to return to action and battle a villain Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who wants to eliminate all the gods. Teaming up with Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Jane Foster/Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman), and Gorg (Taika Waititi), Thor must fight against evil and learn the true meaning of love.
12 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 — $146M
Waiting for the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2's release was more difficult than the audience could have imagined. Everyone was dying of curiosity about whether the sequel would follow the accomplishments of what might be the standout success of the entire MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy. Of course, the sequel did not disappoint as it grossed over $146 million in its opening weekend. Regardless of whether it was because of people's scrutiny that the second volume was going to meet immeasurable expectations or something entirely else, the opening weekend is the best in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
11 Captain Marvel — $153M
If you're a die-hard fan of a franchise, it's always the best to see the movie on its opening weekend, so you can both help the numbers and avoid spoilers. Captain Marvel supporters were probably on the edge of their seats to watch one of the strongest Avengers — and the first woman-led solo movie — kick some butts because the movie grossed over $153 million during its first weekend. The movie getting a big opening weekend was probably humiliating for those (misogynists) who tried predicting its failure.
10 Iron Man 3 — $174M
Iron Man 3 was clear proof that Tony Stark is just as amazing without the suit. It further proved that this is the man who managed to build a suit of armor under the noses of terrorists. It not only dove deeper into the superhero's psyche, but it also showed that Tony is capable of saving the President of the US and destroying the Mandarin, with only a 10-year-old kid as a backup and while having panic attacks.
The film grossed $174 million in its opening weekend, a $46 million increase from Iron Man 2 and nearly double what the first film made in its opening weekend. Iron Man 3 clearly benefited from the box office of The Avengers and scored the biggest opening weekend of 2023.
9 Captain America: Civil War — $179M
For some, Captain America: Civil War is one of those movies you watched on the opening weekend and have never watched since, or you've seen it multiple times. Whether you're Team Tony or Team Steve, the movie did amazingly on its opening weekend, grossing over $179 million. In many ways, Captain America: Civil War is Avengers 2.5, the movie saw the introduction of Spider-Man and Black Panther into the MCU and featured multiple Avengers characters, which helped make the movie an event.
8 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – $181M
Disney
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was the much-anticipated sequel to Black Panther and told the story of what happened after King T'Challa has passed away, including how the leaders of the nation come together to fight an unknown enemy. The decision was made following the passing of real-life star Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in 2020 and worked his death into the film instead of recasting.
T'Challa's sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) ends up assuming the mantle of The Black Panther by the end of the film, and Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus calls the film "A poignant tribute that satisfyingly moves the franchise forward, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever marks an ambitious and emotionally rewarding triumph for the MCU." Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also did incredibly well at the box office, grossing $181 million on its opening weekend, making it the eighth biggest opening weekend in the franchise.
7 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – $187M
The squeal to Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, took the story of the MCU in a whole new direction. The movie was a much-hyped event, with rumors swirling online it would be an Avengers-level epic with cameos from Fox Marvel heroes to even Tom Cruise as Iron Man. In many ways, the movie's massive $187 million opening weekend could be attributed to those fan theories and also building off the hype from Spider-Man: No Way Home. Nonetheless, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the biggest opening weekend of 2022.
6 Avengers: Age of Ultron — $191M
Avengers: Age of Ultron was a sequel to one of the biggest movies of all time. Expectations were high, and audiences rushed out to go see the next chapter in the MCU and see their favorite heroes reunited. While the movie might have disappointed some fans, it also likely could not live up to the high expectations put on it. The excitement was there, though, as the movie grossed $191 million on its opening weekend.
5 Black Panther — $202M
It's honestly unbelievable that some people didn't go see Black Panther right upon its release since it takes a lot of willpower to stay away from something so highly talked about. Black Panther exceeded every expectation as it grossed $202 million in its opening weekend. The movie became a cultural phenomenon, and audiences kept returning to the movie multiple times.
4 The Avengers — $207M
The hype around The Avengers was unlike most movies. There are plenty of highly anticipated summer films, but nothing like this had ever been done before. Fans had been waiting four years since the release of Iron Man to see this film on the big screen, and general audiences were curious to see how all these different characters would work together. The Avengers broke out as the movie of 2012, grossing $207 million in its opening weekend. At the time, it was the highest-grossing opening weekend and the quickest movie to cross $200 million dollars, doing it in just three days. This was the film that cemented the MCU as the biggest movie franchise in the world.
3 Avengers: Infinity War — $257M
The anticipation for Avengers: Infinity War was as immense as ever. If people weren't able to see it in its first days of release, they would probably get spoiled, and it would ruin their whole cinema experience. Imagine losing the chance to experience the complete heartbreak of seeing the final scenes of this movie. Infinity War grossed over $257 million on its opening weekend, becoming the biggest weekend in history at the time. It was also an improvement over Avengers: Age of Ultron as likely the promise of more heroes like Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy joining The Avengers certainly made this a must-see event.
2 Spider-Man: No Way Home — $260M
Now, onto the movie for which it was almost impossible to avoid the major spoilers if you didn't go see the movie on its opening day, let alone the opening weekend: Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was a war of its own to get a hold of cinema tickets as soon as possible, as the demand reached unimaginable heights, and it certainly delivered.
Bringing all the iconic actors from different generations of Spider-Man into one movie was the best marketing decision ever made in the MCU. Spider-Man: No Way Home, with a prime release date just a week before Christmas, took the world by storm. It grossed $260 million in its opening weekend. This opening weekend would be impressive at any time, but being released in 2021 when audiences were still not fully comfortable returning to the theaters following the COVID-19 pandemic makes this opening weekend even more amazing. Months before Top Gun: Maverick would get the credit, Spider-Man: No Way Home showed movies were back.
1 Avengers: Endgame — $357M
Avengers: Endgame sold out almost instantly. Avoiding spoilers for the final Avengers movie was the biggest challenge for the fans who were dying to see it. It was the biggest movie in the world and might have been of all time as it was a movie audiences had not only been waiting a year for but wrapped up a story that they had been following for 11 years.
Avengers: Endgame grossed $357M in its opening weekend. This makes Avengers: Endgame not just the biggest MCU opening weekend but the biggest opening weekend of all time. It is highly unlikely this record will be topped anytime soon, and it will be interesting to see how Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars compare.