Which Marvel Franchise Has Made the Most Money?

💰 Top Marvel Franchises by Box Office Revenue

The chart below breaks down the total box office revenue for the top Marvel franchises.

Key Insights:

• The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) dominates the chart with a staggering $47.7 billion in total box office revenue.
• The next closest franchise is Spider-Man, bringing in $14.1 billion(less than a third of the MCU’s earnings)
  • X-Men: $11.7B
  • Avengers: $11.1B
  • Sony’s Marvel Universe: $4.6B
  • Deadpool: $4.4B
  • Wolverine: $4.1B
  • Ant-Man, Dr Strange and Venom come last with around $2.5B for each of the franchises (quite surprising considering how good of a movie Dr Strange was)

🎬 The Power of the MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s lead is no surprise. As an interconnected mega-franchise spanning over 30 films since 2008, it combines the power of multiple characters, crossover events, and serialized storytelling to draw massive global audiences. The Avengers series, while listed separately here, is part of this broader MCU, reinforcing its total dominance.

Franchises like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Guardians of the Galaxy also fall under the MCU umbrella, each contributing several billion to the total.

🕸️ Spider-Man’s Global Appeal

Despite multiple reboots and studios (Sony and Marvel Studios), Spider-Man remains one of the most profitable characters in film history. His solo franchise has earned $14.1 billion across various adaptations—from Tobey Maguire to Tom Holland—showcasing enduring popularity across generations.