At the outset of the summer movie season, there were multiple titles that seemingly had a realistic shot at grossing $1 billion worldwide. A couple of these films will fall short of that mark, but others will soar past it. Pixar’s Toy Story 5 became the latest member of the club in late July, capping off another stellar box office run for the animation studio’s flagship franchise. Only a week later, it’s got some notable company. It’s only a matter of time before Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey crosses the $1 billion plateau, and Marvel’s record-breaking smash Spider-Man: Brand New Day has already hit the milestone in near-record time.
According to the X account Global Box Office, Spider-Man: Brand New Day passed $1 billion globally on Monday, August 3rd, becoming the fourth movie this year to earn that much. More impressive is the fact that the film is the second-fastest in history to gross $1 billion, behind only Avengers: Endgame. Endgame, famously, brought in over $1 billion in its opening weekend, still an all-time record.
With Brand New Day hitting $1 billion in only a handful of days, the biggest question remaining is whether or not it will ultimately top Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s lifetime gross of $1.921 billion. Currently, Brand New Day is significantly outpacing its predecessor at the box office. No Way Home opened theatrically in select international markets on December 15, 2021, and reports of it crossing $1 billion globally started circulating on December 26. Perhaps the only thing that was holding No Way Home back at the box office is the fact it was a pandemic-era release, and not everyone was comfortable with the idea of going back to the movie theater. Had No Way Home released under normal circumstances, its final tally would have been even higher.
We’re getting a sense of how No Way Home might have performed in a non-COVID period with Brand New Day‘s performance. The film has been shattering box office records left and right, posting a whopping $360 million domestically in its opening weekend ($100 million more than No Way Home‘s record-breaking opening). Audiences are clearly enthused about the film and excited to check it out on the big screen. Brand New Day has far exceeded even the rosiest expectations up to this point, so anything is possible — especially as things slow down a bit in August. There are intriguing films on the horizon this month, but there isn’t anything on the scale and scope of a Spider-Man or The Odyssey.
Whether or not Brand New Day manages to hit $2 billion will depend on the strength of the film’s legs. Films don’t make that much money at the box office unless it holds well and benefits from repeat viewings. No Way Home was tailor-made for repeat viewings in theaters thanks to its multiverse angle that brought back classic actors from previous Spider-Man film franchises. Seeing the three live-action Spider-Men together fighting a team of villains made for a tremendous viewing experience with a sold-out crowd. Brand New Day has earned widespread acclaim, but it’s obviously a different type of film when compared to No Way Home. It tells a more intimate, character-driven story that isn’t as reliant on crossovers and nostalgia (though there are appearances from other Marvel characters), but it remains to be seen if fans will eagerly head out for multiple viewings like they did for No Way Home. We’ll learn much more about Brand New Day‘s quest for $2 billion after this weekend.
Regardless, Brand New Day is the latest sign of how healthy the box office has been this year. Despite some high-profile misfires from major studios, 2026 has been the strongest year for theaters since the pre-pandemic days. Once The Odyssey crosses $1 billion this month, it will be the fifth movie this year to reach that mark. This is the most $1 billion films we’ve seen in a single year since there were nine back in 2019. And there will likely be one more. Avengers: Doomsday is already posting huge pre-sales numbers despite only a limited number of showings being available.
