Avengers: Endgame overtakes Avatar as highest-ever grossing film

Avengers: Endgame is once again the highest-grossing movie ever.

The Disney/Marvel Studios blockbuster has overtaken Avatar, drawing in a global purse of $2.9255 billion (£2.2093 billion) to the latter's $2.9237 billion (£2.2085 billion).

The success is due to the re-release of the Anthony and Joe Russo-directed movie, titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, in the lead-up to the release of Avengers: Doomsday on 18 December. The Encore version features up to four minutes of additional footage.

Endgame was previously hailed as the king of the world's box office when it was announced at Comic-Con 2019 that the movie had surpassed James Cameron's Avatar shortly after its release that year.

The film has since traded the global box office crown with Avatar through subsequent cinema returns. In 2021, Avatar reclaimed the throne following a successful re-release in China.

Endgame is the fourth film in the Avengers franchise, which started in 2012 with The Avengers and also includes 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron and 2018's Avengers: Infinity War.

The movie, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, may not have long to relish its success, however. Avatar is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2029, and with Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 scheduled to drop over the coming years, a global re-run could make it the first film in history to break the $3 billion (£2.27 billion) mark, Forbes reports.

After Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars is slated for release in 2027.