By Paul Ausick

Comic books have been popular since the 1930s, but it is probably safe to say that the various superheroes who have populated the pages of those books have never been more popular than they are now. And one measure of that popularity is both the number of movies that are made starring comic book characters and the amount of money moviegoers worldwide have spent on tickets to see these films.

The all-time highest grossing film worldwidewas 2009’s “Avatar,” which generated ticket sales of nearly $2.8 billion for Twenty First Century Fox Inc. (NASDAQ: FOXA). The second highest grossing movie of all time was “Titanic” from Paramount Studios and Viacom Corp. (NASDAQ: VIAB), which took in $2.2 billion. While neither of the top two was based on comic book characters, number three on the all-time worldwide list of top-grossing films is “Marvel’s The Avengers,” which raked in $1.5 billion in 2012 for Buena Vista Studios and The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS).

Speaking of Disney, the Mouse House paid $4 billion in 2009 to acquire Marvel Entertainment, the owner of Marvel Studios. Disney now owns the rights to substantially all the superheroes created at Marvel since the late 1930s, with one very significant exception: Spider-Man. Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) paid a reported $7 million to Marvel in 1999 after Cannon Films, which had purchased the rights to Spider-Man in the mid-1980s, went bankrupt and the rights reverted to Marvel.

Marvel Studios released its first title, “Iron Man,” in 2008, the year before Disney bought Marvel. That was also the first film in a grouping that the studio now calls the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Ten films have been released so far in the series, and domestic ticket sales on those 10 movies total $2.96 billion.

Worldwide, the 10 films have grossed $7.36 billion, and that total is expected to get significantly bigger with the domestic release this week of the 11th film in the series, “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” The 12th film in the MCU is “Ant-Man,” which is scheduled for release on July 15. In addition to these 12 films, another 10 are either in pre-production or development to carry the MCU out to the summer of 2019.

One other studio has had blockbuster results from comic book superheroes as well: Warner Bros. and parent Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) have rights to both Batman and Superman, and with the two characters are slated to appear together on the big screen in March 2016 in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” the studio looks to be set for another big payday.

Movie data in the following list come from Box Office Mojo.

1. Spider-Man
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 1 ($3.96 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 2 ($1.58 billion)
>Number of movies in franchise: five
>Studio: Columbia

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “Spider-Man” (2002) ($403.7 million)
>Production budget: $139 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 16
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 44

When the initial “Spider-Man” movie was released in 2002, the movie was the top grossing film in any genre that year, it boasted the top opening weekend gross receipts of any movie that year, and it sold more tickets than any other PG-13-rated movie. Spider-Man first appeared in a Marvel comic book in 1962 and his creation is credited to writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. Spider-Man was also among the first (or perhaps even the first) teenage superheroes who was not the sidekick of some older superhero. Four of the five franchise movies are among the top 12 of all time in gross ticket sales. The next live-action film in the franchise is on the schedule for summer of 2017 and the first animated Spider-Man film is due in 2018, both from Sony.

2. Batman
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 2 ($3.8 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 1 ($1.9 billion)
>Number of movies in franchise: eight
>Studio: Warner Bros./Time Warner

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) ($1.08 billion worldwide)
>Production budget: $250 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 7
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 12

Batman first appeared in a comic book published by DC Comics in 1939. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger and was originally called “the Bat-Man.” The character got his own self-titled comic book in 1940. “The Dark Knight” (2008) was released just a few months after actor Heath Ledger, who played Batman’s nemesis, the Joker, died. The next film, “The Dark Knight Rises,” posted the third-best opening day gross of the year in 2012 and the third-best single day gross that year. Only six of the seven “Batman” movies have been released internationally: 1993’s animated “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” sold just $5.6 million in U.S. tickets and was not released in foreign markets.

3. X-Men
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 3 ($3.05 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 3 ($1.3 billion)
>Number of movies in franchise: seven
>Studio: Fox

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “X-Men: Days of Future Past” (2014) ($748 million worldwide)
>Production budget: $200 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 107
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 60

The X-Men first appeared in a Marvel comic book in September of 1963, the creation of the writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The first movie in the franchise, “X-Men,” was released in July 2000 and has grossed $157.3 million in the United States and $296.3 million worldwide. Of the seven films in the franchise, three place in the top 20 based on gross U.S. receipts for comic book adaptations, with “X-Men: The Last Stand” from 2006 at number 16, edging out “X-Men: Days of Future Past” at number 17 by less than $1 million. The next installment of the series, “X-Men: Apocalypse” is due in late May of 2016.

 

4. Iron Man
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 4 ($2.42 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 4 ($1.04 billion)
>Number of movies in franchise: three
>Studio: Paramount for the first film, then Buena Vista

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “Iron Man 3” (2013) ($1.22 billion worldwide)
>Production budget: $200 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 14
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 7

The Iron Man first appeared in the Marvel comic book series “Tales of Suspense” in March 1963, and Iron Man was also an original (September 1963) member of the superhero team, The Avengers. The character has become more popular overseas, with ticket sales rising from 45.6% foreign for the first movie to nearly 67% for the third. All three movies are included in the list of top 10 grossing movies of all time based on comic book characters. There are currently no future releases planned in the series, but Iron Man is included in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” which opens this Friday, and is also expected to appear in “Avengers: Infinity War Part 1,” which is currently scheduled for release in May 2018.

5. Marvel Avengers
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 5 ($1.53 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 6 ($623.36 million)
>Number of movies in franchise: one
>Studio: Buena Vista/Disney

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “Marvel’s The Avengers” (2012) ($1.52 billion worldwide)
>Production budget: $220 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 3
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 3

In their comic book introduction in 1963, the Avengers consisted of Iron Man, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Thor and the Hulk. Captain America joined up a few issues later. The Marvel comics team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby get the credit for this creation. Only “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” has had a bigger opening day in the United States than the first movie. This week’s opening of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is expected to open on about 4,200 screens in the United States, and opening weekend domestic sales could equal the $201 million the movie has earned since its release last Wednesday in several foreign markets.

6. Superman
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 6 ($1.36 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 5 ($809.16 million)
>Number of movies in franchise: six
>Studio: Warner Bros.

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “Man of Steel” (2013) ($688 million worldwide)
>Production budget: $225 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 60
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 79

Superman is America’s oldest comic book superhero, first created in 1933 by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster while they were still in high school. The Man of Steel made his first appearance in a DC comic book in June of 1938. “Superman,” the first movie in the franchise, was released in 1978 and starred the late Christopher Reeve. Adjusted for inflation, that film remains the top grossing domestic release in the series with $465.75 million in ticket sales, compared with 1981’s “Superman II,” which raked in $316 million inflation-adjusted dollars, and “Man of Steel,” which grossed $282.02 million. Foreign ticket sales are only available for three of the six films, so it is reasonable to assume that the franchise’s worldwide ranking would be higher if all six of the films were included.

 

7. Captain America (tie)
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 7 ($1.09 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 7 ($436.42 million)
>Number of movies in franchise: two
>Studio: Paramount for first movie, then Buena Vista

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014) ($714.8 million worldwide)
>Production budget: $170 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 77
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 67

Captain America is another of the superheroes to emerge from Marvel. The character was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared in March 1941. The first movie in the franchise, “Captain America: The First Avenger,” was released in 2011, and the third installment, “Captain America: Civil War,” is due out in May 2016. Last year’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” had the best April opening weekend ever, with $95 million in gross receipts, until this year’s “Furious 7” came along and posted domestic opening weekend receipts of $147 million.

8. Thor (tie)
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 8 ($1.09 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 8 ($387.39 million)
>Number of movies in franchise: two
>Studio: Paramount for first movie, then Buena Vista

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “Thor: The Dark World” (2013) ($644.8 million worldwide)
>Production budget: $170 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 146
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 85

Along with Iron Man and Captain America, Thor is an original member of the Avengers and will be in the thick of the fight when “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is released this weekend. Thor made his first appearance in 1962 and got his own title in March of 1966. Besides appearing in the Avengers movies, the god of thunder will also be featured in a third installment of this franchise, “Thor: Ragnarok,” currently scheduled for November of 2017. Thor’s appearance in the new Avengers movie is expected to boost ticket sales for the next Thor movie, just as the character’s appearance in the first Avengers movie boosted the opening weekend box office for the second Thor movie by 30%.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 9 ($774.18 billion)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 8 ($333.18 million)
>Number of movies in franchise: one
>Studio: Buena Vista

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) ($774.18 million worldwide)
>Production budget: $170 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 33
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 53

The Guardians of the Galaxy are another team first put together by the writers and artists at Marvel in January 1969. The team changed in a series of comic books that debuted in May of 2008. Even though only one film has been released to date, that film was wildly popular and a second, “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” is on the roster for May of 2017. Of the four superhero titles released in 2014, “Guardians” posted the highest domestic gross, almost $100 million more than second-ranked “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

10. The Hulk
>Franchise rank by worldwide gross receipts: 10 ($508.76 million)
>Franchise rank by U.S. gross receipts: 10 ($267 million)
>Number of movies in franchise: two
>Studio: Universal for the first movie, then Buena Vista

>Top grossing movie in franchise: “The Incredible Hulk” (2008) ($263.43 million worldwide)
>Production budget: $150 million
>All-time domestic U.S. sales rank: 346
>All-time worldwide sales rank: 416

The Hulk’s first appearance came in May 1962 in a comic book created by the Marvel team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The first film starring the Hulk was released in 2003, and the second in 2005, both by Universal. Marvel Studios has since reacquired the rights from Universal. The Hulk is also part of the Avengers team and will be appearing in the second Avengers film, “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” which hits U.S. theaters on Friday. He is also part of the Fantastic Four team that stars in two films from Fox. A third is coming from Fox in August of this year, which appears to be a reboot of the original from 2005, and a fourth is on the schedule for June of 2017.

By Paul Ausick

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