Spider-Man: No Way Home Just Broke Another Record
Even before it came out theaters, everyone could likely tell that "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was going to be a behemoth at the box office. Across social media, speculation ran rampant about what kind of cameos we would see and how the film would tie into the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its utilization of the multiverse. On December 17, 2021, viewers didn't have to wonder any longer as the movie came out exclusively in theaters, allowing them to bear witness to see which theories held any water. Honestly, there were quite a few of them that came to fruition.
"Spider-Man: No Way Home" was met with near-universal acclaim upon release. It earned stellar reviews from critics and general audiences alike on Rotten Tomatoes, and despite the fact the movie came out while the COVID-19 pandemic continued, people went to their local theaters to see the story on the big screen. It's been over a month since the film came out, and it continues drawing in crowds, as evidenced by the fact that the movie just took home another box office record, unseating "Avatar" in the process.
Spider-Man: No Way Home just became the third highest-grossing film at the domestic box office
According to Variety, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" crossed a milestone on February 14. It took in just enough money to surpass "Avatar" on the leaderboard of the highest-grossing films of all time at the domestic box office. With the money it took in on Valentine's Day, "No Way Home" currently stands at $760.9 million domestically. Meanwhile, "Avatar" has a still-impressive $760.5 million. But it does mean that "No Way Home" now holds onto the bronze medal, at least when it comes to money brought in throughout the United States.
Third place is likely where "No Way Home" will stay. Holding the number two spot is "Avengers: Endgame" with $858 million domestically, so "No Way Home" would have to gross over $100 million more to unseat that flick. That probably won't happen, seeing how the film has already been out for nearly two months at this point. And it has an even longer way to go to be number one. That spot belongs to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" with $936 million.
Nonetheless, it's an impressive feat, especially seeing how the pandemic likely still prevented some people from going to theaters. That's what Paul Dergarabedian, a Comscore senior media analyst, said to Variety, "Though 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' benefits from a much higher average ticket price than 'Avatar,' this does not detract from the enormity of this achievement coming during a pandemic-impacted marketplace." The superhero film proved audiences will still come out in droves to see Spidey in action, and even when the pandemic subsides, it will still take a lot for another movie to unseat "No Way Home" from its third-place spot.