Whenever a new movie premieres, there’s always uncertainty about whether it will be profitable, manage to cover its budget and bring in extra money. While theMCUhas a better starting position than most movies thanks to its fame and popularity among the fans, it doesn’t mean all of its movies became huge hits.
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Some don’t bring a large profit while others exceed all expectations. The most profitableMCUmovies all have something in common at a closer glance. They bring in beloved characters but also work with something new that draws the audience in and makes them visit the cinemas in large numbers.
Updated July 11, 2025, by Kath Leroy:The MCU has made a successful transition into the world of TV shows by premiering multiple series on Disney+. However, despite its TV success, it continues to release several feature films each year, just like it has been doing so for the last decade. Not all MCU movies meet the same level of success. Some of them fly more under the radar while others prove to be huge hits. The pandemic has negatively influenced the box office results of some newer MCU movies but as a whole, the MCU is still ahighly profitablecinematic universe and the best-grossing MCU movies have earned profits that many other movies can only dream of.
14Thor: Ragnarok (2017): $854 Million
At the moment, it doesn’t seem like the newest Thor movie,Love and Thunderwill repeat its predecessor’s success, despite the fact that Taika Waititi directed both of the movies. After the more serious and dramatic first two Thor movies,Thor: Ragnarokwith its strong emphasis on comedy and scenes improvised by the actors felt like a breath of fresh air.
So even though Thor had to face the destruction of his home, the movie made the fans laugh, and they saw it in great numbers. Tom Hiddleston’s reprisal of the fan-favorite villain slash antihero Loki also helped makeThor: Ragnarokinto one of the MCU’s most financially successful movies.
13Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017): $863 Million
The firstGuardians of the Galaxymovie achieved a substantial profit back in 2014, with its total box office gross of 772 million dollars. However, it wasn’t until the sequel that the Guardians showed their true worth when they scored almost additional 100 millions. Possibly because the viewers were already better familiar with the characters.
Another reason for the movie’s increase in profits as opposed to volume one could bethe presence of Baby Grootwho went on to become one of the most beloved MCU characters. Groot is even set to get his own TV series on Disney+. Whatever the cause, the secondGuardians of the Galaxyoffered the right mixture of emotions, humor, and action, and the box office results reflected the movie’s overall quality.
12Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): $880 Million
Even before Spider-Man made his triumphant return to the MCU, he was a well-known superhero, and not just among comic book fans. The previous Andrew Garfield movies and, above all, the Sam Raimi trilogy with Tobey Maguire, made Spider-Man into one of the most recognizable superheroes among moviegoers.
Spider-Man had previously made an appearance inCaptain America: Civil War(2016) and got positive reactions from the audience, so the fans eagerly anticipated his first solo adventure. The movie brought something new to the MCU - a teenage high school comedy combined with superhero action - and Tom Holland took on the world by storm as the titular webslinger. Despite the movie’s respectable box office gross, the Spider-Man trilogy in the MCU would go on to reach even better results in the future.
11Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022): $954 Million
The box office results of the MCU movies premiering in 2022 and 2021 suggest that the MCU fans aren’t quite ready to say goodbyes to some better-established MCU characters, regardless of how much the MCU might like them to shift their focus to the new and upcoming heroes, such as the Eternals or Shang-Chi.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessproved this when it scored almost 300 million more than its predecessor, the 2016Doctor Strangewhich earned a box office gross of 677 million dollars. Benedict Cumberbatch’s popularity might have factored in the movie’s success, as well asSam Raimi’s directing style, and finally, also the fact that the movie offered one of the most relatable and understandable villains, Scarlet Witch, driven to the edge by the loss of her family.
10Captain Marvel (2019): $1.128 Billion
Captain Marvelmanaged to get several firsts. It was the first MCU movie with afemale superheroine in the sololeading role (Wasp teamed up with Ant-Man), and it was also the first movie that took place in the 1990s.
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That allowed not only to bring young, less cynical Nick Fury onto the scene but also led toCarol Danvers and Fury becoming an unexpected buddy duo. The movie’s combination of sci-fi and comedy worked, and it became a hit, making over a billion with a budget of only $160 million.
9Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019): $1.132 Billion
Avengers: Endgamechanged the MCU forever, but it wasSpider-Man: Far from Homethat finished the third phase of the MCU. Once again, the audience went to cinemas in large numbers, eager to see how Peter Parker would deal with the tragic death of his mentor, and how would he defeat Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio.
The movie also did what no otherSpider-Manlive-action story dared to - it took Spider-Man out of New York and into Europe, making the story all the more refreshing for it.
8Captain America: Civil War (2016): $1.153 Billion
Captain Americafollowed in the footsteps ofIron Manand his third adventure also turned out to be the most profitable one. However, unlike Iron Man, Steve Rogers had a lot of help in the Civil War. Other than Thor and Hulk, all Avengers showed, plus new, long-expected superheroes, Spider-Man and Black Panther.
To this day, the movie can be considered the third unofficial Avengers movie. It was also highly important for the future of the MCU as it created the conflict that drove the Avengers apart and potentially stopped them from defeating Thanos together when he first showed up on Earth.
7Iron Man 3 (2013): $1.215 Billion
When somebody says ‘the best MCU movies,’ most people don’t think ofIron Man 3as their first option. Some fans are convinced the movie wasn’t as good as the first part. Whatever the case,Iron Man 3defeated both its predecessors when it comes to the box office.
It could have been caused simply by Tony Stark’s growing popularity or by the fact that the audience suspected this would be the last solo Iron Man movie with Robert Downey Jr. (which turned out to be true). Either way, the movie cost $200 million to make and earned well over a billion.
6Black Panther (2018): $1.348 Billion
Black Panthersolved a problem that the previous MCU movies faced - they only showed one corner of their superhero universe. This movie led the audience to a brand new world, the wonderfully evolved and rich country of Wakanda with its own culture and traditions.
Combined with the acting performances of the talented cast and the story of a family fighting family, the movie worked its magic, and it made $1.347 billion with a budget of just $200 million.
5Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021): $1.901 Billion
The latest Spider-Man movie once again proves that the third solo adventure of a superhero can often be the most profitable one. It happened both with Iron Man and Captain America, and Spider-Man follows in their footsteps.
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The movie is still running in cinemas at this point, so its profit will most likely still grow and perhaps even surpassAvengers: Age of Ultron. Whether that’s the case or not,Spider-Man: No Way Homedrew thousands of people inthanks to the return of many legendary characters as well as the fact that its predecessor ended on a major cliffhanger.
