At the outset of the summer movie season, it was all but a given that Spider-Man: Brand New Day would be one of the highest-grossing films. For more than two decades, the character of Spider-Man has been one of the most consistent box office draws in Hollywood, and Brand New Day‘s predecessor Spider-Man: No Way Home parlayed its nostalgia-driven multiverse story into $1.921 billion worldwide. That fact that Brand New Day dominated the box office in its opening weekend is no surprise. What has been a surprise is just how massive of a hit the film is. After shattering all-time records in its debut, Brand New Day hit the $1 billion milestone in only a handful of days. It isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and it’s only a matter of time before before it makes another bit of history.
According to The Wrap, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is “on pace to become just the eighth film in history to cross $2 billion worldwide.” As of this writing (via Deadline), Brand New Day stands at $1.1 billion, already becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year so far. When Brand New Day passes $2 billion, these are the films it’d be joining in the rare club:
Even though seven films have accomplished this feat before (including two post-pandemic releases), it can still be baffling to see a movie approach the $2 billion mark. It obviously takes a lot to go right for a film to earn that much, but there’s a lot working in Brand New Day‘s favor. Less than a full week after release, it’s already more than halfway there because it came storming out of the gates with its record-breaking opening. Brand New Day is also poised to have very strong legs at the box office thanks to the positive word of mouth. Earning strong reviews, many viewers consider this to be one of the strongest installments in the Multiverse Saga thanks to its emotional, character-driven story and practical, street-level filmmaking approach.
Brand New Day also has a clear runway to rule the box office throughout the month of August. While there are some intriguing titles on the horizon (including sci-fi offerings like The End of Oak Street and The Dog Stars), there’s nothing on the level of Brand New Day or The Odyssey. For all intents and purposes, Brand New Day was the last major studio tentpole to release this summer, and now it won’t be facing much competition over the next several weeks. If Spider-Man had come out earlier in the season and still had some high-profile films to contend with, then its path to $2 billion would have been a bit tougher.
It’s also noteworthy that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is playing in China, where it opened with $121 million. No Way Home did not receive a Chinese release and nearly made $2 billion in the middle of the pandemic, so having another international market to lean on is a boon for Brand New Day‘s already stellar box office prospects. Over the past several years, the international box office (particularly China) hasn’t been as lucrative for Hollywood productions, but audiences all over the globe are loving Brand New Day — highlighting the massive, worldwide appeal of the Spider-Man character.
The only real question remaining regarding Brand New Day at the box office is whether or not it will still be 2026’s highest-grossing film at the end of the year. Avengers: Doomsday is the only movie remaining on the calendar that has a realistic chance to top Brand New Day, but it has some obstacles in its way. It’s opening the same day as Dune: Part Three; while Doomsday should win the box office that weekend, Dune will eat into it business a bit due to the IMAX factor. It also remains to be seen how audiences will respond to Doomsday. There’s anticipation for the Marvel crossover, but at this stage, it doesn’t seem as palpable as Infinity War and Endgame due to the lack of buildup for the story and characters involved. If Doomsday earns a mixed reception from critics and/or audiences, then its dream of hitting $2 billion could be over.
