The debut weekend is critical for any film. That's when first impressions are formed, reviews are written, and the film's performance at the box office sends an indication to theater-goers of how others feel about it.
The most financially successful movies tend to open strong - very strong. These are the ten movies that passed the $100 million mark in the shortest time. In a matter of hours, they grossed more than most movies make for their entire theatrical run.
10 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015) — 2 Days
The second Avengers movie brings together the world's mightiest heroes — Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and more — to save the planet once again from the brink of destruction, this time from an A.I. built by Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) that seeks to wipe out humanity.
The addition of new characters, such as Vision (Paul Bettany) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), brought a new layer of complexity to the already established team dynamics, and Ultron (voiced by James Spader) made for a compelling antagonist. It was well-received and went on to gross $1.4 bn worldwide.
9 'Black Panther' (2018) — 2 Days
Ryan Coogler's Black Panther broke barriers and changed the game for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chadwick Boseman plays the heir of Wakanda, a highly advanced African nation, who ascends to the throne and faces challenges to his rule. He's joined by an impressive supporting cast, including Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, and Danai Gurira as Okoye.
In addition to the action and terrific visual effects, Black Panther tackles themes of identity, heritage, and the African diaspora in a way that resonated deeply with audiences worldwide. Like Age of Ultron, Black Panther accomplished the feat in two days and became a critical and commercial smash.
8 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' (2022) — 2 Days
Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a neurosurgeon-turned-sorcerer who must navigate the multiverse to save the world from a mysterious threat. Cumberbatch is terrific as always, as are Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Xochitl Gomez as the dimension-hopping America Chavez.
Along with Top Gun: Maverick, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was one of the first films to perform strongly at the box office after the post-pandemic slump in theater-going, eventually bringing $955 m worldwide.
7 'The Avengers' (2012) — 2 Days
It's hard to believe that it's already been over a decade since the first Avengers film. At the time, it was the biggest superhero event ever, bringing together the most beloved characters from various storylines for a no-holds-barred Marvel extravaganza.
These superheroes (many with supersized egos) must put aside their differences and work together to save the world from the threat of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army. (Remember when Loki was the main villain? Ah, simpler times.) Unsurprisingly, it killed it at the box office for a worldwide gross of $1.51 bn.
6 'Jurassic World' (2015) — 2 Days
Director Colin Trevorrow reimagined the Jurassic Park franchise for a new generation with this fast-paced adventure starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Vincent D'Onofrio. It's set twenty-two years after the events of the first film and revolves around a new dinosaur theme park that is thrown into chaos when a genetically engineered hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus rex, escapes its enclosure and begins wreaking havoc on the island.
It's the most purely entertaining Jurassic Park movie since the first one, totally capturing the awe and sense of wonder that made the original so special. Unfortunately, the sequels would fall far short of this, especially Dominion.
5 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (2017) — 1 Day
The second installment in the sequel trilogy picks up immediately after the events of The Force Awakens and continues the battle between the Resistance and the First Order. It notably brought back Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in a storyline that was controversial but also bold and emotional.
The film takes risks with its story and characters, challenging viewers to question their assumptions about the series' central themes. Fans responded: it opened strong, hauling $89 m in the US alone during its first day.
4 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018) — 1 Day
In this masterpiece from the Russo brothers, the heroes race to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) from obtaining the six Infinity Stones and using them to wipe out half of all life in the universe. The movie deftly weaves together multiple storylines and characters into a massive and epic adventure.
The shocking ending made it the most crushing Marvel movie up to that point. Fans lapped it up, and the movie eventually cruised to over $2 bn in worldwide total gross.
3 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015) — 1 Day
J.J. Abrams' first Star Wars project takes place thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi and follows a new generation of heroes as they fight against the evil First Order, led by Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his master, Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis).
Has any movie this century received more hype than Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Fans had waited a full decade since Revenge of the Sith, so it's no surprise that they flocked to the cinema in their numbers on opening day. It grossed $2.06 bn globally to become the most commercially successful Star Wars movie ever.
2 'Spiderman: No Way Home' (2021) — 1 Day
Tom Holland was charming in Civil War and Homecoming, but he took things to the next level with No Way Home. The movie follows Spidey as he tries to fix the damage caused by his secret identity being revealed to the world. Holland is joined by Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned, and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May.
Notably, the film brings back past Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their respective versions of the web-slinging hero, creating a multiverse crossover event appealing to multiple generations of fans. With this kind of fan service, it's easy to see why it dominated at the box office, eventually becoming Sony's highest-grossing movie of all time with a worldwide haul of $1.91 bn.
1 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019) — 1 Day
Endgame sees the surviving members of the Avengers banding together to reverse the catastrophic effects of Thanos' snap and save the universe. Infinity War set an incredibly high bar, but Endgame more than delivered, bringing the Thanos saga to a satisfying conclusion.
It was a runaway commercial success, raking in $157m in the US on its first day, the biggest first-day gross in history. All told, the film would bring in a jaw-dropping $2.79 bn globally. It's hard to see any superhero movie topping it in either scale or spectacle any time soon.