Avengers: Endgame co-director Anthony Russo says he isn’t worried about beating Avatar’s all-time worldwide box office record. Premiering at the end of April, the conclusion of Marvel’s Infinity Saga went on a truly unprecedented commercial run, tallying a whopping $1.2 billion globally in its opening weekend. Some movies are lucky to make that much during their entire time in theaters, but Endgame hit that mark in five days. It passed $2 billion in the blink of an eye, leading many to speculate if it could eventually top Avatar’s mark.

In the early going, it looked like Endgame would eventually become the highest-grossing movie ever, but now it seems like Marvel will have to “settle” for second place. Avatar made a stunning $2.788 billion, and Endgame is currently trailing with $2.743 billion. While it’s true that’s only a $45 million difference, Endgame business has really slowed down, meaning the odds of it moving up one more spot are slim. Some fans are disappointed by that turn of events, but Russo doesn’t seem to mind.

Speaking with MTV News, Russo was asked about the big box office showdown. Unsurprisingly, the director said he hasn’t paid much attention to it. Russo explained “there’s no way I wanna have a shred of regret about anything associated with this movie,” so it essentially doesn’t matter if Endgame beats Avatar or not.

Endgame was the first legitimate challenger for Avatar’s record in the decade since James Cameron’s sci-fi epic was released, but came up just short. The primary reason why is because Endgame came out on the eve of summer movie season, while Avatar debuted in December. Avatar was able to operate as the lone event genre film in the marketplace and feast on weak competition in January and February. It’s true several of this summer’s tentpole hopefuls have underwhelmed, but Endgame eventually had to deal with higher-profile titles that took away screens and repeat viewings. Avatar stayed in the top 10 on the domestic weekend charts for a stunning 14 weeks - twice as long as Endgame’s stay in the top 10. If Endgame premiered over Christmas, it probably would have broken the record.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is this generation’s defining film franchise and Endgame was its undisputed biggest event. If that couldn’t take down Avatar, it’s worth wondering if Cameron’s mark will remain intact for a long time. There doesn’t appear to be much else in the immediate future that could make a realistic run for it. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is poised to be a monumental hit in its own right, but Star Wars doesn’t have enough pull internationally to cross $2.7 billion (The Force Awakens petered out at $2 billion). Perhaps Cameron himself will be the one who breaks the record when Avatar 2 comes out in December 2021. There are some questions about general interest in more adventures on Pandora, but history’s proven you cannot doubt James Cameron.

More: The Avatar Sequels Will Blow Marvel Out of the Water

Source: MTV News

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