No matter how superficial box office numbers can appear, it’s interesting to see how much a movie can actually gross. It’s almost a certainty that big blockbuster movies, such as the MCU films, will make a list of highest-grossing movies, especially considering the proximity of the production and its global fandom it has gathered over the years.

The question that we’re asking here though is: which movies made the biggest profit in the last decade? From the last two Avengers films to animated, family-friendly triumphs like Frozen II, let’s take a look.

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8 Frozen II — $1.45B

     Disney

Many wouldn’t expect to see an animated Walt Disney production on this list and yet, here we are telling you that Frozen II indeed has had such an impact. The second installment of the franchise is set three years after the first, closely following Elsa, Anna, and the other lovable characters as they embark on a journey to learn about the origin of Elsa’s magical powers. Grossing over $1.45 billion worldwide, the movie became the third highest-grossing movie of 2019. In addition to turning its attention to Elsa’s origins, the movie also provides a powerful arc for her sister Anna, with her life crumbling in front of her eyes while she still manages to get things done for the sake of her kingdom. The storyline has turned out to work perfectly given how Frozen II grossed way more than the first movie.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

7 Furious 7 —$1.51B

     Universal Pictures

With a budget of $250 million, Furious 7 stays to this day as one of the most expensive movies ever made. And well, the production cost was definitely worth it as the movie also became the third highest-grossing movie of 2015 with $1.51 billion made at the global box office. It was both thanks to the quality of the storytelling and the action sequences, as well as it being the last movie that Paul Walker had starred in before his unfortunate death. The plot centers yet again around Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and their crew as they decide to live a quiet life after all their crimes, but get interrupted again by a vengeful assassin. Fast and Furious is one of the few big franchises with racialized main characters, and it’s precisely one of the elements that make it so popular.

6 The Avengers — $1.51B

     Marvel Studios

Let’s be honest: this list wouldn’t be complete without something of Marvel nature included. The first one we have to mention is the last movie in the MCU’s Phase One: The Avengers. With over 2,200 visual effects shots, per Comic Book, and an ensemble cast of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, and many more, the movie was able to gross over $1.51 billion at the box office. It also became the highest-grossing movie of 2012. The plot centers around the superheroes as they’re gathered by Nick Fury to help defeat Loki and his Earth invasion. Although it was the first movie we were able to see the cast gathered together, the sense of the found family was already very strong and, to this, produces a sense of nostalgia.

5 The Lion King — $1.65B

     Walt Disney Pictures

Similarly to Furious 7, thanks to the virtual reality tools and the scale the remake was said to offer, The Lion King is one of the most expensive movies ever made with the budget of around $260 million. With a worldwide gross of $1.65 billion, however, it managed to overtake Frozen 2’s spot as the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. The story focuses on Simba as he tries to navigate the journey of becoming the king after his father’s death. The views on the movie stay divided to this day; some call it a failure due to the similarity to the original, while others praise its direction from Jon Favreau. Despite the mixed responses, the movie manages to beautifully portray the royals and the rule of monarchy.

4 Jurassic World — $1.67B

Jurassic World is the fourth installment in Jurassic Park franchise and the first movie starring Chris Pratt in the lead role. The story is set 22 years after the events of the last Jurassic Park movie and also set on the same fictional island of Isla Nublar. The chaos of the story starts when a transgenic dinosaur escapes the park and goes on a rampage. As always, the general views on the movie were divided; one half called it uninspired, while the other half praised its action-packed sequences. No matter your opinions, the movie managed to gross over $1.67 billion worldwide to become the second highest-grossing movie of 2015. Who wouldn’t love a big dinosaur movie, right?

3 Avengers: Infinity War — $2.04B

Everyone knew that Avengers: Infinity War would be a box office hit even before its official release. And they were not wrong. It became the first superhero movie in history to gain over $2 billion in the worldwide box office and was the highest-grossing movie of 2018. The plot centers on the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy as they try to prevent Thanos from using the six Infinity Stones to wipe out half of the population. The third installment of the Avengers franchise seemed to be many people’s favorite due to its excellent portrayal of superheroes and villains, and for bringing together all of the MCU’s previously separate franchises.

2 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens — $2.06B

     Lucasfilm / Disney

With $2.06 billion at the box office, The Force Awakens broke numerous records, one of them was becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2015. As the seventh movie in the Star Wars Skywalker Saga, the movie follows Rey, Finn, Poe, and Han Solo on their journey to find Luke Skywalker in the face of a new threat to the galaxy. Two more movies followed the release of The Force Awakens to complete the sequel trilogy, but the first installment has grossed the most money out all three and was positively praised for its direction as well as the actors’ performances.

1 Avengers: Endgame — $2.7B

Last but not least, we have Avengers: Endgame, which held the first place of the highest-grossing movie of all time until the recent year of 2021 with over $2.7 billion grossed. As expected, it’s one of the most expensive movies ever made, considering the big scale the MCU has set for itself and the audience’s expectations. The plot centers on the surviving Avengers and their attempts to restore Thanos’ damage on the universe’s population. Many continue to argue that Avengers made things infinitely worse by reversing the Blip, as outlined by Screen Rant, and continue to show their clear disappointment with the ending. The divisive views don’t change the fact that it’s effectively the highest-grossing movie of the 2010s.