Spider-Man: Brand New Day has done it. After a month and two weeks in theaters, the fourth film starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker has passed Star Wars: The Force Awakens to become the highest-grossing movie ever at the American box office.
The movie has reached $937 million in U.S. ticket sales, surpassing The Force Awakens’ $936 million run after it premiered in 2015. Brand New Day is now the top domestic draw in American cinema history, and Marvel and Sony are not playing it down.
The Numbers That Changed the Record
Brand New Day’s success is not just a domestic win. Its current worldwide gross sits at over $2.4 billion, making it the third highest-grossing film of all time. Only two movies stand ahead of it:
- The first Avatar film, with approximately $2.9 billion
- Avengers: Endgame, which has grossed approximately $2.8 billion
Endgame is about to get a slight boost with the Encore re-release next week on September 25, which includes new footage leading into December’s Avengers: Doomsday. Whether Brand New Day overtakes it before its own run ends is still an open question.
The Social Media Thank You
Marvel and Sony marked the moment on social media, posting a message thanking fans for their support.
“Doesn’t get bigger than this,” the post read. “Thank you to the fans for helping #SpiderManBrandNewDay make cinematic history — it’s now the highest-grossing domestic release of ALL TIME at the North American box office. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, exclusively in theatres.”
The post included a link to a tweet with the image.
What the Film Actually Is
Brand New Day premiered on July 31. Some viewers felt it had claimed the mantle of best Spider-Man movie. Others were less charmed by its Marvel Cinematic Universe ties after years of franchise fatigue.
Holland has not been confirmed to appear in Doomsday, though Brand New Day’s post-credits scene heavily implies he may show up in Avengers: Secret Wars, which is set to premiere in theaters in December of next year.
A Timeline of the Run
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 31 | Brand New Day premieres in theaters |
| September 16 | Brand New Day surpasses The Force Awakens’ $936 million domestic total |
| September 25 | Avengers: Endgame Encore re-release begins |
The Domestic Total
The Force Awakens held the domestic record for 11 years. Brand New Day took it down after a month and two weeks.
The Worldwide Picture
Brand New Day’s $2.4 billion total puts it behind Avatar and Endgame on the all-time chart.
The Question Ahead
Brand New Day is still running. Its post-credits scene points toward a future involving Secret Wars, and the upcoming Encore re-release for Endgame means the two films will soon sit within shouting distance of each other on the all-time chart.
Whether Brand New Day can overtake Endgame before its own theatrical run ends remains to be seen. The record is official. The run continues. And the next chapter of the Spider-Man saga is already being written.
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