2026 is tracking to have the most successful summer of all time at the box office, beating the previous record of $4.75 billion reached in 2013. Surprise horror hits like Obsession and Backrooms were extremely profitable due to their low budgets, while animated films like Toy Story 5 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie both surpassed the $1 billion mark. However, there are two specific releases that have been breaking records left and right, and both feature Jon Bernthal.
Many first got to know Bernthal through his portrayal of Shane Walsh in the first two seasons of The Walking Dead. Although the role was short-lived, it was more than enough to catapult the actor's career to new heights. Now, 2026 has proven to be one of Bernthal's most successful years thanks to the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Both movies came out swinging at the box office, and they haven't slowed down ever since. More impressively, one reached a major milestone on the very same weekend that the other has set the stage to do reach its own.
The Odyssey becomes Universal Studios' biggest movie
The wrath of the Greek gods couldn't be as far-reaching as the wrath of Christopher Nolan himself. The acclaimed director released The Odyssey to astonishing levels of success, especially considering it is an R-rated film whose box-office backbone doesn't rely on the kids' demographic, unlike other hits like Toy Story 5 or even Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
To make things a bit more complicated, The Odyssey has a runtime of nearly three hours, which means it can't fit as many screenings in a day as other films. But despite these hurdles, Christopher Nolan's latest project has managed to break initial expectations and sail beyond any known lands.
The Odyssey was already the most successful film in Christopher Nolan's career and the biggest R-rated movie ever made, even surpassing Deadpool & Wolverine. But in case that wasn't enough, it also became Universal Studios' highest-grossing movie during the weekend of Sep. 11, 2026.
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is Universal Pictures’ highest-grossing film of all time. Get tickets now to experience it in theaters everywhere. pic.twitter.com/wkNmU6gCfF
— Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) September 12, 2026
To put this impressive accomplishment into perspective, these are the eight biggest films under the Universal Studios umbrella and how The Odyssey ranks among them:
- The Odyssey - $1.68 billion
- Jurassic World - $1.67 billion
- Furious 7 - $1.51 billion
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie - $1.36 billion
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - $1.30 billion
- The Fate of the Furious - $1.23 billion
- Minions - $1.16 billion
- Jurassic Park - $1.10 billion
The Odyssey is all but confirmed to surpass the $1.7 billion mark by the end of its theatrical run, becoming the eleventh highest-grossing film ever made. These are astounding numbers for a non-franchise film, but they fall slightly short when compared to yet another Jon Bernthal project.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day on course to becoming the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office this week
Audiences had to wait five years to see the wall-crawler back on the big screen, but it was well worth it. Not only was Spider-Man: Brand New Day met with critical acclaim, but it also became a box-office juggernaut from the get-go. Peter Parker's latest adventure grossed $932 million globally by the end of its opening weekend, and since then it has become the hero's biggest project and the third-most successful film ever made, behind Avengers: Endgame and Avatar.
Much like The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day didn't settle for anything less than complete domination. On the weekend of Sep. 11, 2026, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film may have fallen to the No. 2 spot for the first time in six weeks (with Practical Magic 2 taking the crown) but it pulled in another $8.4 million - meaning it is now just $7 million away from becoming the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office, claiming the throne held for over a decade by Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.
For reference, here are the top eight most successful movies at the domestic box office:
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - $936 million
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day - $928 million
- Avengers: Endgame - $858 million
- Spider-Man: No Way Home - $814 million
- Avatar - $785 million
- Top Gun: Maverick - $721 million
- Black Panther - $700 million
- Avatar: The Way of Water - $688 million
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is tracking to end its theatrical run between $2.5 and $2.7 billion at the global box office. While there are many things to praise about the film, perhaps one of the greatest was the relationship between Tom Holland's Peter Parker and Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle. The two Marvel characters had off-the-charts chemistry, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them share the screen once more.
Regardless of how much The Odyssey and Brand New Day end up grossing, they have already surpassed initial expectations and reached many important milestones, signaling that cinema is more alive than ever before in the process.
The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day are now playing in theaters.
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