James Cameron’s Avatar, thanks to its re-release in China, is now bigger than Avengers: Endgame in terms of worldwide box office gross. According to Deadline, the sci-fi epic’s current total is now $ 2.802 billion, surpassing Endgame’s $ 2.797 billion.
Interestingly, Zoe Saldana was part of both movies and starred in both alien characters. In Endgame she played the role of Gamora, and in Avatar she was the female lead, playing a Na’vi princess Neytiri.
The official Marvel Studios account, MCU directors Russo Brothers and James Gunn congratulated Cameron on the achievement. This is, of course, Disney congratulating Disney as it owns both properties. Disney gained ownership of the Avatar franchise after the recent acquisition of 21st Century Fox, now called Fox Corporation.
Returning the glove to you … @JimCameron
Thanks for the beautiful art @bosslogic pic.twitter.com/URSxUMzf8D
– Russo Brothers (@Russo_Brothers) March 13, 2021
“Giving the gauntlet back to you … @JimCameron,” Joe and Anthony Russo wrote on Twitter while sharing art from Boss Logic.
Gunn, of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, tweeted, “It was fun while it lasted, but I’m no longer executive producer of the highest-grossing movie of all time. Congratulations to James Cameron and the # Avatar team! (And of course @zoesaldana, who’s kind of in a no-lost situation here). “
Avatar was released in 2009 and was met with enthusiasm by critics and audiences alike. The film quickly became the highest-grossing film ever made, further establishing Cameron as the most bankable director in Hollywood, at least in terms of monetary returns. His romantic disaster epic Titanic had also broken several box office records, just like his Terminator movies before.
Released in 2019, Endgame had the Avengers, or whatever was left of them, gather to erase the threat from Thanos for the last time and bring back their dead comrades.