Superhero blockbuster Spider-Man: Brand New Day has crossed $2 billion in worldwide box office receipts since launching in cinemas in late July.
The global milestone makes the feature only the eighth film in cinema history to reach $2 billion at the worldwide box office. It also cements the movie as the highest-grossing release in the long-running Spider-Man franchise since the character first starred on the big screen in 2002.
The superhero character was originally created in 1962 by comic book writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko for Marvel Comics. Over the decades, the web-slinging hero has become one of the most commercially successful figures in global entertainment history, inspiring comic series, television adaptations, video games, and multi-billion-dollar film franchises.
Based on its current box office momentum, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is positioned to challenge for a spot among the top three highest-grossing motion pictures of all time. That elite top three currently comprises Avatar (2000) with $2.9 billion, Avengers: Endgame (2019) with $2.79 billion, and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) with $2.3 billion.
Franchise box office rankings
The latest release is already the most lucrative of the ten films produced in the saga since director Sam Raimi launched the original trilogy in 2002. Its ticket sales put it well ahead of the previous franchise record holder, Spider-Man: Far From Home, which earned $1.1 billion during its 2019 theatrical run.
The dark entry Spider-Man 3, starring Tobey Maguire as the title hero, holds third place in the franchise rankings after collecting $895 million worldwide in 2007.
Overall earnings for the actors who have portrayed Spider-Man depend on how box office totals are calculated across their respective appearances. When factoring in his return appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tobey Maguire leads current star Tom Holland with $4.4 billion in combined revenues compared to Holland's $4 billion across solo films. Andrew Garfield, who likewise returned for Spider-Man: No Way Home, ranks third with $3.3 billion in box office receipts.
Marvel Cinematic Universe earnings
The commercial standing changes significantly when including every Marvel Cinematic Universe film in which Tom Holland has portrayed Spider-Man. With ensemble team-up movies included in the total, the young British actor's overall box office earnings near $10 billion worldwide.
Even with that vast total, Holland has not yet claimed the top spot as the highest-grossing actor of all time. That distinction remains with Robert Downey Jr., whose film appearances have generated $11.5 billion in global ticket sales. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, launched by Marvel Studios, has built the highest-grossing film franchise in cinematic history over more than fifteen years of interconnected superhero releases.
The veteran actor is scheduled to make a high-profile return to Marvel Studios productions. Having retired Iron Man's suit, Downey Jr. will play the villainous Doctor Doom in the upcoming ensemble features Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Tom Holland's Spider-Man is not officially confirmed to appear in either of those two upcoming Avengers crossover events. However, superhero fans will not have to wait indefinitely for his return, as a fifth solo Spider-Man movie is already in active development.
