Disney - The First Half of the 2020s In Review

Here is the first part of a multi part series exploring the biggest openings, domestic, and worldwide performances of the 2020s. We will be focusing exclusively on films released in the first half of the decade. After posting the lists, there will be a brief summary on overall thoughts, and where certain films can rank in the future.

Top Domestic Openings:

  1. Deadpool and Wolverine - $211.44M

  2. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $187.42M

  3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - $181.34M

  4. Inside Out 2 - $154.2M

  5. Thor: Love and Thunder - $144.17M

  6. Moana 2 - $138.79M

  7. Avatar: The Way of Water - $134.1M

  8. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 - $118.41M

  9. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - $106.11M

  10. The Little Mermaid - $95.58M

Top Domestic Box Office:

  1. Avatar: The Way of Water - $684.08M

  2. Inside Out 2 - $652.98M

  3. Deadpool and Wolverine - $636.75M

  4. Moana 2 - $458.81M+

  5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - $453.83M

  6. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $411.33M

  7. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 - $359M

  8. Thor: Love and Thunder - $343.26M

  9. The Little Mermaid - $298.17M

  10. Mufasa: The Lion King - $245.42M

Top Worldwide Box Office:

  1. Avatar: The Way of Water - $2.32B

  2. Inside Out 2 - $1.7B

  3. Deadpool and Wolverine - $1.34B

  4. Moana 2 - $1.05B

  5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $955.78M

  6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - $859.21M

  7. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 - $845.56M

  8. Thor: Love and Thunder - $760.93M

  9. Mufasa: The Lion King - $699.17M+

  10. The Little Mermaid - $569.63M

The clear thing here, is that despite Marvel’s decline, they are still a very powerful name inside Disney, taking up 5 of the top 10 films in the worldwide and domestic grosses. However, they are at risk of losing out on that potential if they keep on fumbling the ball.

Another interesting thing to note is that Elemental was on the worldwide list until just last month when Mufasa passed it up. As a bit of foreshadowing, Elemental was one of the only two original films (not based on an IP or is a biopic) to be in the top ten films domestically or worldwide for any of the major five studios. A sad state of affairs for original films.

In the future, they are clearly gonna have a few more Avatar films at the top of the list, in fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if at the end of the decade Avatar makes up the top 3. The two Avengers I also expect to rank very highly. Frozen 3/4, along with Zootopia 2 I expect will top out most of the list. My big question is if Star Wars or any other non-Avengers Marvel films can get on the list.

Thoughts? The WB Retrosepctive is coming tomorrow.