For fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following Avengers: Endgame's box office run proved to be a lot of fun. For a while, it didn't look like it would be able to top James Cameron's Avatar, but the Marvel Studios movie finally managed to dethrone the sci-fi epic as the world's highest-grossing title a decade after it was first released.
Alas, Avatar is now back at #1.
Per Deadline, Avatar's re-release in China saw the 3D movie earn $3.5 million today. When Avengers: Endgame was released in 2019, it grossed a whopping £2.797 billion, putting it just $7.9 million in front of its rival. Well, with today's haul, Avatar is just $4.5 million behind, and will easily earn that in the Middle Kingdom over the next couple of days as China enjoys a box office resurgence.
With that, the Marvel Studios movie falls into second place, but the real winner here is Disney. After all, the Avatar franchise belongs to them following the Disney/Fox merger, and the franchise has a huge place in Disney World as part of Animal Kingdom. If the studio pushed for this re-release, it's a little surprise that they would happily see Avengers: Endgame dethroned, but the series looks set to be key for Disney moving forward.
Four sequels currently have release dates, with two of them already shot.
Ultimately, this doesn't really matter, and Avengers: Endgame could regain the top spot if it eventually returns to theaters. For now, though, Cameron must be one very happy filmmaker...
Click on the "Next" button below to check out 10
actors and directors who HATE comic book movies!
10. Alejandro G. Iñárritu
After making a movie as great as Birdman, can you imagine what Alejandro G. Iñárritu could bring to the Marvel or DC Universes? Unfortunately, he doesn't see the value in telling those type of stories.
"I would be terrible [at making a superhero film]. I think there’s nothing wrong with being fixated on superheroes when you are 7 years old, but I think there’s a disease in not growing up," he said, before taking a shot at the genre as a whole. "I sometimes enjoy them because they are basic and simple and go well with popcorn."
Bizarrely, the filmmaker would go on to dismiss the notion that they're in any way profound, and argued that they're "right wing" because "I always see them as killing people because they do not believe in what you believe, or they are not being who you want them to be. I hate that, and don't respond to those characters."
Well, each to their own, eh?
9. Jason Statham
Say what you will about Jason Statham's acting abilities, but he's often an entertaining presence in the movies he stars in, and even successfully showed off his comedic chops in Spy. Throw in his action credentials, and he's a perfect fit for any number of superhero roles. Alas, he's not remotely interested.
"I can take my grandma and put her in a cape and they'll have stunt doubles come in and do all the action. Anybody can do that," he argues "They are relying on a green screen and a 200 million dollar budget. So to me, that is not authentic. I'm inspired by an old real star - guys that can really do their thing."
If the actor doesn't view the genre as having any authentic action movies, he'll probably never sign on for one.
8. David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg has never embraced blockbusters, though that's not overly surprising when he's helmed the likes of The Fly and Videodrome! With that in mind, the filmmaker saying superhero movies basically just boiled down to "Batman running around in a stupid cape" was to be expected.
"Christopher Nolan's best movie is Memento, and that is an interesting movie. I don't think his Batman movies are half as interesting, though they're 20 million times the expense," he said. "A superhero movie, by definition, you know, it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."
While The Dark Knight Rises wasn't Nolan's best Batman movie, it seems a little harsh to say that, "people who are saying, you know, The Dark Knight Rises is supreme cinema art, I don't think they know what the f*** they're talking about."
So, yeah, don't bank on him helming The Fly Returns!
7. David Fincher
David Fincher shocked everyone by essentially walking away from the big screen experience to embrace the world of streaming (Mank hit Netflix last week). Of course, an argument could be made that he had no choice given how difficult it must be to make a movie like that in the current Hollywood system.
"Movies are about saving the world from destruction," the filmmaker said. "Many people at studios are still fighting the good fight. There are executives there who are friends of mine. But if you want to make studio movies, you stay in their lanes, which are romantic comedy, affliction Oscar bait, spandex summer, superhero tentpole, moderately budgeted sequel."
Despite clearly not being a fan of superheroes, Fincher's arguments are valid, and it's no wonder he's made that move to Netflix. However, we'd still love to see his take on a Marvel or DC character!
6. Rose McGowan
We weren't anticipating seeing outspoken actress Rose McGowan in a superhero movie any time soon, but back in 2015, the actress shared a surprise Instagram post slating the genre.
She claimed that "what’s wrong with superhero movies is that they lack complexity, story development, character development [and] freedom of thought." Despite starring in the likes of Conan the Barbarian and Machete, she feels that comic book adaptations are examples of "lazy and average male filmmaking."
Seemingly under the belief that superhero movies were the only options to her, McGowan added: "Where are the human stories? I don't want green goblins and tight outfits. I want intelligence, daring, work that drives society forward."
There are plenty of superhero movies that offer those things.
5. Tim Burton
Yes, the filmmaker responsible for bringing Batman to the big screen in 1989 is no longer a fan of the genre which arguably went a long way towards putting him on the map back in the day.
That classic film, and it's sequel Batman Returns, was a game-changer for the genre, and Burton even came close to directing a Superman movie starring Nicolas Cage. Now, though, it sounds like he's had more than enough of seeing caped crusaders and men of steel gracing the big screen.
"How many times can you say ‘you’re wearing a funny costume’ with the tights and stuff? That’s been going on for 20 years now," Burton asked during a recent interview. "Yes, we all know that superheroes are damaged individuals. Maybe we need to see a happy superhero?"
4. Francis Ford Coppola
We'll get to Martin Scorsese, but when that filmmaker decided to attack superhero movies, it wasn't long until his good friend Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather) was there to back him up.
"When Martin Scorsese says that the Marvel pictures are not cinema, he’s right because we expect to learn something from cinema, we expect to gain something, some enlightenment, some knowledge, some inspiration," he exclaimed shortly after Scorsese's controversial remarks.
"I don’t know that anyone gets anything out of seeing the same movie over and over again. Martin was kind when he said it’s not cinema. He didn’t say it’s despicable, which I just say it is."
How much do you want to bet that neither filmmaker has even watched more than one superhero movie? After all, to say they're all the same is just downright ridiculous.
3. Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster is an actor and filmmaker not all that different to Angelina Jolie (who we'll soon see take on a leading role in Eternals). She's never really been one for blockbusters, but it was still disappointing to hear her say that "going to the movies has become like a theme park."
"Studios making bad content in order to appeal to the masses and shareholders is like fracking -- you get the best return right now but you wreck the earth. It’s ruining the viewing habits of the American population and then ultimately the rest of the world." Foster would go on to say that making "$200 million movies about superheroes" has never been of interest to her.
As a result, we'll never get to see her follow a filmmaker like Patty Jenkins by bringing a female superhero to the big screen, and it's a real shame Foster looks down her nose at the genre.
2. Mel Gibson
For obvious reasons, anything that Mel Gibson says should probably be taken with a grain of salt, but the actor and director's comments about superhero movies have been particularly scathing.
Gibson turned down the role of Odin in the first Thor movie, and admits that, "I look at them and scratch my head. I'm really baffled by it." He would go on to admit that maybe he'd feel differently if he tried acting in front of a green screen, but believes too much money is being spent on them.
"If you're spending outrageous amounts of money, $180 million or more, I don't know how you make it back after the taxman gets you, and after you give half to the exhibitors. What did they spend on Batman V Superman that they're admitting to? And it's a piece of s**t."
There are some comic book fans out there who will probably agree with that point, but it's still a bit harsh!
1. Martin Scorsese
Despite once being attached to Joker (though it's since been claimed those reports were inaccurate), Martin Scorsese clearly has a very low opinion of comic book movies. The filmmaker came under fire for saying they're "not cinema," with everyone from James Gunn to the Russo Brothers coming forward to fight back against his argument that they're just "theme parks."
The Irishman filmmaker wasn't backing down, though, and later said, "The value of a film that’s like a theme park film, for example, the Marvel-type pictures, where the theatres become amusement parks, that’s a different experience. I was saying earlier, it’s not cinema, it’s something else."
It's unclear how many Marvel and DC movies Scorsese has actually watched, but the man doesn't seem to be very fond of them (to say the least), and it's clear that he will never view them as being on par with the type of stories he tells.