Avengers: Endgame passed Avatar as the biggest movie ever this month. James Cameron answered with art of the Na’vi welcoming Iron Man and a thank-you for filling theaters.
The king of the world is handing over his crown again, and he’s being a good sport about it.
James Cameron congratulated Marvel after Avengers: Endgame passed his Avatar as the highest-grossing movie of all time, TheWrap reported on Friday, Oct. 16. The record flipped earlier this month, thanks to the Endgame Encore re-release.
Cameron shared a piece of crossover art on Instagram. It shows a group of Na’vi, Jake and Neytiri among them, gathered around Tony Stark in his Iron Man armor with their hands on him, WDW News Today reported.
The text on the image reads, “You are one of the people.”
“Congratulations to Marvel and the #1 ‘Avengers: Endgame: Encore’ for bringing moviegoers to the cinemas!” Cameron wrote, signing off as Jim Cameron, according to TheWrap.
Here’s the original Endgame trailer from Marvel, for old times’ sake:
How much has Avengers: Endgame made now?
About $2.925 billion worldwide. Avatar sits at about $2.923 billion, so the gap is roughly $2 million, World of Reel reported.
That’s close enough that one slow weekend could have changed everything. Endgame Encore added about $126 million in its first two weekends back, TheWrap reported. That included $36.2 million in the U.S. and Canada and $89.8 million overseas.
Encore opened Sept. 25. It runs 185 minutes, four minutes longer than the original, with a custom introduction and new footage, World of Reel said.
What is Avengers: Endgame Encore?
It’s a new cut of the 2019 movie. It has a tweaked ending plus new mid-credits and post-credits scenes that lead into Avengers: Doomsday, TheWrap reported.
Joe Russo called it a “critical companion story” to the original, according to World of Reel. Its opening weekend brought in $86 million worldwide. That’s the second-biggest global debut ever for a re-release, behind the 2012 3D return of Titanic.
Yes, that Titanic. Cameron can’t seem to escape himself.
Has James Cameron congratulated Marvel before?
Yes, back in 2019. Endgame first passed Avatar that July, and Cameron posted a note then, too. “Oel ngati kameie. I see you Marvel,” he wrote, using a Na’vi greeting, as TheWrap recalled.
Earlier that year, Cameron also congratulated Endgame for passing his Titanic, /Film reported at the time.
Then the record flipped back. Avatar took the top spot again in March 2021 after a re-release in China, World of Reel noted. Marvel answered with its own post showing the Avengers title getting wiped away by Avatar, according to TheWrap.
Why does the Avatar and Endgame record keep flipping?
Re-releases. Each movie came back to theaters right before its own sequel. Avatar’s 2022 run helped build hype for Avatar: The Way of Water, and Endgame Encore is warming fans up for Doomsday, NPR’s Bob Mondello pointed out.
He also noted that the back-and-forth reflects rising ticket prices more than rising attendance. Your wallet has noticed.
And here’s the funny part. Disney owns both movies. Avatar came from 20th Century Fox, which Disney bought in 2019, WDW News Today noted. Disney now has seven of the 10 highest-grossing movies ever.
When does Avengers: Doomsday come out?
Friday, Dec. 18. It already had close to $60 million in presales in early October, theater sources told TheWrap.
Doomsday won’t play in IMAX for at least its first three weeks. Disney and Marvel are steering fans to other premium screens with a campaign called Infinity Vision, and about 70% of presales have come through it, TheWrap reported.
World of Reel thinks Disney could bring Avatar back for its 20th anniversary in 2029 and flip the record again. Or Doomsday could pass $3 billion and settle the fight for good.
What have we already reported about Endgame Encore?
We covered Encore’s $86 million debut in September and the record itself on Oct. 4. Cameron’s art is the friendliest part of the whole saga so far.
Two Disney movies, two directors and one very polite rivalry. I see you, Tony.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
TheWrap, Benjamin Lindsay (Oct. 16, 2026), Cameron’s post and the 2019 note
TheWrap, Jeremy Fuster (Oct. 4, 2026), Encore’s box office and Doomsday presales
World of Reel (Oct. 4, 2026), the record, the runtime and Russo’s quote
WDW News Today, Lauren Stracner (Oct. 16, 2026), the artwork and Disney’s top 10
NPR, Bob Mondello (Oct. 6, 2026), re-releases and ticket prices
/Film (2019), Cameron’s Titanic congratulations
Marvel Entertainment on YouTube (March 14, 2019), the Endgame trailer
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