Life wasn't too kind to Jon Bernthal's Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead. He tried to lead his own group of survivors through a relentless post-apocalyptic world filled with walkers, only to end up joining the ranks of the undead (and making his best friend a little angry along the way). But while the antagonistic survivor couldn't find success in his endeavors, the star that brought him to life certainly has.
2026 has been one of the most successful years for cinema since the COVID pandemic, grossing a combined total of over $4 billion thanks to major releases such as The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day—both acclaimed blockbusters starring Jon Bernthal. On one hand, Christopher Nolan's latest film is on its way to becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, surpassing the likes of Deadpool & Wolverine. On the other hand, the wall-crawler's latest adventure has just made box-office history for its titular character by reaching a new milestone.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day officially becomes the highest-grossing Spider-Man movie ever and outgrosses Avengers: Infinity War
Peter Parker has this tendency to accomplish amazing feats (mostly) on his own in the comic book world, and it looks like some of that magic has been recreated on the big screen as well. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has officially surpassed the $2 billion mark at the box office and become the hero's highest-grossing project—a record previously held by Spider-Man: No Way Home at $1.9 billion.
Across the entire history of cinema, only eight films have joined the $2 billion club, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day is among the fastest to do so. For reference, here is how many days it took each of those projects to reach this milestone:
- Avengers: Endgame - 11 days
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day - 18 days
- Ne Zha 2 - 38 days
- Avatar: The Way of Water - 40 days
- Avatar - 47 days
- Avengers: Infinity War - 48 days
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 54 days
- Titanic - 5,233 days (as part of the 3D re-release in 2012)
As evidenced by the list above, it takes most major blockbusters 40 days to surpass the $2 billion mark, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day did so in less than half that time. That means the wall-crawler's latest film has plenty of room to keep breaking records over the weeks to follow.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is projected to become the first-ever movie to reach the $1 billion mark at the domestic box office alone and end its theatrical run grossing somewhere between $2.5 and $2.7 billion at the worldwide box office. There is a small chance it will surpass Avengers: Endgame to become the highest-grossing superhero film ever made at $2.79 billion. However, it's important to remember that the 2019 Marvel crossover will be re-released in September 2026, meaning it should be able to hold on to its crown by grossing even more than it already has.
Regardless of how much Spider-Man: Brand New Day ends up grossing at the end of its theatrical run, it is currently the second-biggest superhero movie ever made, beating other heavy-hitters such as Avengers: Infinity War.
- Avengers: Endgame - $2.79 billion
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day - $2.053 billion
- Avengers: Infinity War - $2.052 billion
- Spider-Man: No Way Home - $1.92 billion
- The Avengers - $1.52 billion
When looking outside the superhero genre, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has crowned itself the seventh highest-grossing film of all time. However, it should rise to the third (and potentially second) spot on that list by the end of its theatrical run. This marks a return to form for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which hadn't crossed the $1 billion mark in two years, since the release of Deadpool & Wolverine.
Unfortunately, we have yet to learn what the future holds for Jon Bernthal's iteration of the Punisher. However, it is rumored that many street-level characters such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist will appear in Avengers: Secret Wars, so there's a chance Frank Castle could join them, making Bernthal part of yet another major superhero blockbuster. But regardless of what the future holds, the actor's run in 2026 has been nothing short of impressive.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.
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