This weekend’s box office numbers have been nothing short of insane, with The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day absolutely dominating, bringing in more money in one weekend than theaters have ever seen before. And while it might feel like bit of a shock to think about that much money coming into the movies, the fact that it was these two powerhouse actions flicks that earned said money can’t be that much of a surprise, considering that The Odyssey smashed Oppenheimer’s entire $330 million box office run in less than two weeks, with Brand New Day becoming the second-biggest opening weekend of all time, coming in just behind Avengers: Endgame.
With the hype that’s been surrounding these two movies in particular, it’s definitely unsurprising that they performed well. What is surprising, however, is just how much over their initial projections that they’ve come in. But as of right now, The Odyssey is already rounding out the top 5 in terms of 2026’s biggest openings, alongside Toy Story 5, Michael, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and The Devil Wears Prada 2. And it will likely take less than the next 12 hours for Brand New Day to knock one of those from the top 5 to take its place.
And while The Odyssey has been out a bit longer than Brand New Day, it’ll be occupying IMAX theaters for longer (despite having to share the even bigger screen with The End of Oak Street when it makes its theatrical debut). But both films are promising to keep raking in the dollars through the fall when they finally make their way onto streaming platforms.
Early reviews for Brand New Day have already started coming in, with critics and fans alike saying it’s the best Marvel offering in years (and maybe ever), with a staggering 98% audience rating to back those claims up. “It’s a grounded, remarkably raw and achingly vulnerable story that makes an admirable point about what it means not to shoulder responsibilities all on your own,” said critic Gissane Sophia.
And while The Odyssey is currently finding itself in hot water with Emily Wilson, the author who brought to life the translation that Nolan used as the main source of inspiration for his adaptation, as well as archeologists and historians in general, it seems that casual viewers still aren’t immune to his particular brand of spectacle and the way he jam packs his cast with easily recognizable faces. Critic Max Weiss says, “It’s Nolan’s party, and he can do what he wants with it. He’s succeeded in many ways—bringing a classic epic poem to life, modernizing it, but certainly not in a thoughtless way, and utilizing the full range of his prodigious cinematic toolkit.”
Overall, it seems that each of these films has earned its epic status, and they won’t be dethroned until Dunesday weekend hits this December.
