Tom Hardy’s Venom Franchise Outperforms Three Original Avengers at the Box Office

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe recently celebrated a significant achievement with its Venom franchise, which has outperformed three original Avengers films at the box office. However, in the wake of the disappointing release of Kraven the Hunter, which garnered a mere 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and only $26 million globally in its opening weekend, Sony has decided to pause production on its Spider-Man Universe films. This downturn is a stark contrast to the initial success of Venom, which amassed a staggering $856 million in worldwide box office revenue. As the franchise experiences a notable decline, it seems that Sony is making a strategic move to limit further losses.

The popularity of Venom among Marvel fans has been a driving force behind this success. Venom’s clout nearly rivals that of Spider-Man and most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) leading characters. In light of this, Sony pursued his popularity further by producing two sequels: Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Venom: The Last Dance. Although these follow-ups didn’t achieve the same financial heights as the first film, they sufficiently demonstrated Venom’s appeal, eclipsing the box office totals of three original Avengers.

Venom’s Movie Trilogy Surpasses Three Original Avengers’ Box Office Totals

The Big Three Remain Unharmed

Despite Iron Man’s pivotal role in bringing the superhero genre into the limelight, his individual film faced initial struggles at the box office. However, as the franchise progressed, collaboration among the Avengers in films like The Avengers helped it cross the $1 billion mark. Conversely, while Venom’s trilogy experienced a downward trend in box office earnings, it still outperformed three Avengers properties, marking a notable achievement for Sony.

Worldwide Box Office Comparison: Avengers vs. Venom
Franchise Only	Total Worldwide Box Office
Thor	$2,705,339,993
Iron Man	$2,421,720,208
Captain America	$2,236,871,251
Venom	$1,833,043,054
Hulk	$510,605,538
Black Widow	$379,751,655
Hawkeye	N/A

While leading franchises typically showcase three to four films, Venom’s trilogy enjoys a comparative advantage over the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, whose films number only two, one, and none, respectively. Despite their stellar franchises, Venom still emerges as a more successful character compared to lesser-known heroes in the MCU.

Venom’s Box Office Performance Surpasses Six Other MCU Heroes

New and Lesser-Known Characters Lag Behind Venom’s $1.8 Billion

Despite the fierce competition from bigger names like Spider-Man and the iconic Big Three, Venom has demonstrated stronger financial performance than a variety of lesser-known MCU heroes. Highlighting this trend, Captain Marvel reached $1 billion upon its release in 2019, but its success was significantly impacted by the underperformance of its sequel, The Marvels. Newer characters such as Shang-Chi and the Eternals, each with one film release, also struggled at the box office, further demonstrating Venom’s stature among Marvel properties.

MCU Franchises with Box Office Totals Lower than Venom
Franchises	Total Worldwide Box Office
Venom	$1,833,043,054
Doctor Strange	$1,628,568,160
Ant-Man	$1,605,638,412
Captain Marvel	$1,329,282,344
The Wasp	$1,086,779,963
Shang-Chi	$432,224,634
The Eternals	$401,731,759

Among the franchises that Venom has bested, Ant-Man is the only one with a comparable number of films. The Ant-Man series, particularly with Quantumania, which earned $463 million, stands as the lowest-grossing installment in that franchise, reflecting similar trends with Venom: The Last Dance.

Why Venom’s Box Office Exceeds That of Various MCU Heroes

Sony’s Effective Management of This Iconic Character

Venom’s widespread popularity as a Marvel character has led to high expectations for Sony to leverage this iconic persona effectively. The success of Venom’s films—despite not featuring Spider-Man—has proven that he can stand alone in the cinematic universe. Fans are still hopeful for a potential live-action clash between the two beloved characters.

Yet, despite Venom’s relative box office successes, it cannot be overlooked that his films have not consistently achieved the same acclaim as those of the MCU’s flagship heroes. The challenge lies in maintaining a strong trajectory akin to Spider-Man’s, especially with the current halt in production of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. The future now rests on possible reboots and ventures that could elevate Venom’s status once more.

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