Spider-Man: No Way Home Box Office Breaks An MCU Trilogy Record By $692 Million (2024)

Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third highest-grossing film in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and its success especially notable when compared to the MCU's other trilogies. Even when compared with the Avengers films, Spider-Man's results in the MCU box office have been enormous. The MCU trilogy has found a way to resonate with audiences and generate significant box office throughout the series, with Spider-Man: Homecoming grossing $878 million and Spider-Man: Far From Home taking in a colossal $1.13 billion.

It's clear that audiences love Spider-Man, and the MCU's Spider-Man is perhaps the best proof of this. One of the most consistent and lucrative franchises, interest in Spider-Man movies seemed to wane with The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but it's clear the hero's inclusion in the MCU timeline revitalized that interest. This connection is important, as Sony's Spider-Man movies have hit record lows when featured outside the MCU. Indeed, the particular success of the final movie in the MCU's first Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man: No Way Home, shows this version of the Peter Parker story is as beloved as it is profitable.

Spider-Man: No Way Home Has The Highest Box Office For Any MCU Trilogy Ending

Of all the successful trilogies in the MCU, Spider-Man: No Way Home has made the most money of any final chapter at the box office. The film was a massive global success at a time when most movies were suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The response to No Way Home has even been emblematic of how theatrical success has changed. In its present state, audiences are still less likely to come to the movies, but when a big, special event is released in theaters, the numbers show people will still attend.

The MCU is a difficult beast to classify, as a coherent saga built from dozens of interconnected films. While fourth films in different Marvel series may exist for some of these stories - and there is even a Thor 5 planned with a rumored director - each of the initial trilogies listed contains a thematic journey for their characters. Even with a fourth Captain America movie coming and a fourth Spider-Man movie to eventually be made, these existing trilogies have a beginning, a middle, and a definitive end, with No Way Home's marking the end of an origin story of sorts.

Spider-Man: No Way Home's Box Office Proves The MCU's Spider-Man 4 Has To Happen

Whatever happens, and whatever obstacles need to be overcome, the MCU's version of the Spider-Man character has more stories that must be told. Audiences are clearly interested, and box office success has increased with each successive film in the MCU Spider-Man series. With the recent box office failures of The Marvels and Quantumania, the MCU needs to focus on its more viable paths forward. With a focused need to return to beloved characters in the franchise, this will inevitably mean returns to this beloved Spider-Man series.

There is a ripe opportunity to take Spider-Man back to his classic roots and shape another beloved film trilogy for the wall-crawling hero. With the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, there is plenty of speculation about what this next installment might contain, and even its Spider-Man 4 title. Whatever direction the studio decides to take the story, another Tom Holland starring Spider-Man film will likely be an enormous box office hit. With action and humor that have resulted in a sweet and charming iteration of the hero, audiences are hungry for more stories of the MCU's Peter Parker.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a juggernaut at the box office for more than 15 years, and that streak is not likely to end entirely anytime soon, although there have been some difficulties that need to be addressed. With that said, Spider-Man: No Way Home resonated with audiences and critics alike, culminating in a pop-culture event that few films have ever managed to achieve and serving as a model for the rest of the MCU to follow. As the highest grossing trilogy ending film in the MCU, Spider-Man: No Way Home holds a special place in the pop culture pantheon.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the trials and tribulations of being a superhero. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) when his identity becomes a problem for the ones he loves. Unfortunately, when the spell goes wrong, Spider-Man will now have to face off with villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) as Peter finally comes to terms that he can't run from being Spider-Man. Supported by his close friends and help from an unexpected place (or multiverse), Spider-Man will go toe-to-toe with some of the most legendary foes in his storied history.

Director

Jon Watts

Release Date

December 17, 2021

Writers

Erik Sommers , Chris McKenna

Cast

Zendaya , Jon Favreau , Tom Holland , Jamie Foxx , Alfred Molina , Benedict Cumberbatch , Marisa Tomei , J.B. Smoove , Benedict Wong , Jacob Batalon