Summary

• Avengers: Endgame ranks as moviegoers' all-time favorite MCU summer blockbuster, only behind Jurassic Park (1993) for summer blockbusters in general.
• The film's high ranking can be attributed to its culmination of 10+ years of storytelling, incredible payoff, and massive commercial success.
• MCU projects like Deadpool & Wolverine and Avengers: Secret Wars may have the potential to become all-time popular summer blockbusters as well.

New summer movie stats further confirm what many Avengers: Endgame. Having been released in 2019, the fourth Avengers movie serves as the culmination of over 10 years of interconnected storytelling which had been told across Marvel Studios' epic Infinity Saga. Spanning over 22 films from Iron Man to Endgame, a new set of data proves a core truth about this definitive final chapter, especially when compared to summer blockbusters in general.

In 2019's Avengers: Endgame, Earth Mightiest Heroes are unwilling to live with Thanos' victory in the preceding Avengers: Infinity War. Looking to bring back those they had lost, the Avengers manage to claim Infinity Stones of their own via time travel, resulting in a major final confrontation with the Mad Titan that featured the vast majority of MCU characters that had been introduced and developed ever since 2008. To that end, here's what a fascinating new set of summer blockbuster data reveals about Endgame and the greater MCU at large.

Avengers: Endgame Is Moviegoers' Favorite MCU Summer Blockbuster

Only Ranked Under Jurassic Park (1993)

Movie ticket seller Fandango recently conducted a new survey taken by over 2,000 film fans, asking about their all-time favorite summer blockbusters that have been released over the years. Naturally, a good portion of the top 10 were MCU films, specifically Avengers movies. All four of the Avengers movies premiered in late April/early May during their respective release years, a means of kicking off the summer with an epic superhero crossover. That said, Avengers: Endgame ranks much higher than the other two MCU movies on this top 10 list.

Ranked second only below 1993's Jurassic Park from director Steven Spielberg for the top spot, Avengers: Endgame looks to be moviegoers' all-time favorite MCU summer blockbuster. The margin is also pretty wide between Endgame and the next favorite summer blockbusters from the MCU. While Endgame sits at #2, the preceding Avengers: Infinity War (2018) sits at #8, and the very first Avengers film released in 2012 is ranked at #9.

Why Avengers: Endgame Is The MCU's Most Popular Summer Blockbuster

The Answer Is Pretty Obvious

Avengers: Endgame's high ranking as the most-loved summer MCU blockbuster shouldn't come as a big surprise. After all, it's undoubtedly one of the most beloved and popular MCU films in general. A blockbuster among blockbusters, the level of storytelling and pay-off seen in Endgame was unprecedented and will likely never be topped again due to its groundbreaking foundation, having required over 10 years to develop along with its audience.

Engame's summer ranking also makes sense when factoring in its financial success as well. A true mega-blockbuster and massive commercial success, Endgame's all-time gross at the box office sits at just under 2.8 billion dollars, making it the second highest-grossing film of all time internationally. To that end, numbers like that only happen due to an extremely wide mass appeal, high amounts of excitement and satisfaction from audiences, and plenty of repeat viewings.

Why Avengers: Age Of Ultron Isn't On The Popular Summer Blockbusters List

It's The Least Event-Style Avengers Movie

Despite being a very entertaining MCU movie in general, Avengers: Age of Ultron is notably not on this new summer list, while the other three Avengers films are. This can likely be attributed to the second Avengers film not feeling like as much of an event film when compared to its other Avengers crossovers. Rather than being solely focused on the major threat that was Ultron, the MCU's second major crossover had far more narrative avenues as it worked to set up what was coming next.

That said, Age of Ultron's existence as a key bridge film for future MCU projects should never be discounted. The way in which it sets up both Captain America: Civil War and the next two Avengers films in particular is very well executed, making the crossover film even more entertaining in retrospect. However, it's understandable why Age of Ultron would rank much lower when compared to its fellow Avengers films, especially considering the additional lens of this survey about all-time favorite blockbusters with options spanning beyond the MCU.

What MCU Movies Could Become Popular Summer Blockbusters

Deadpool & Wolverine? Avengers 5 & 6?

Looking forward now that the MCU is in the midst of its Multiverse Saga, it's interesting to think about which Marvel Studios projects might stand a chance at becoming major summer blockbusters that could also make a similar all-time list one day, becoming just as popular (or even just close) to Avengers: Endgame. Naturally, July's Deadpool & Wolverine certainly stands a chance at becoming an all-time best, especially given the iconic duo that is Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman playing their most famous and popular movie roles.

Additionally, one could presume that the Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars also stand to gain high rankings when they release in the next couple of years. That said, Secret Wars likely stands a much higher chance than Avengers 5, if only because it's expected to culminate and end the Multiverse Saga in epic fashion with multiple characters, much like Avengers: Endgame itself did for the Infinity Saga. At any rate, it will be exciting to see if this kind of summer ranking list ends up changing in the MCU's favor, depending on how the next few years go for Marvel Studios.

Source: Fandango/Twiiter