Tony Stark is probably one of the most iconic characters in Hollywood. His first movie set the foundations for what Marvel Studios is now and he is like no other.
One of the most memorable relationships in the MCU is between Tony Stark and Peter Parker. What started off as a mentor-mentee dynamic quickly turns into a father-son one. With Parker constantly trying to impress Stark and Tony constantly trying to protect Peter, what they shared was truly loved by all. This is why it is quite surprising to find out that the most profitable franchise in the MCU is not Iron Man.
How Much Did the Iron Man Franchise Gross in Total?
The first Iron Man movie Introduced Tony Stark’s character and his journey to becoming Iron Man. This movie is a fan favorite and the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what it is today. This movie made a total of $318 million and $585 million with a budget of $186 million, doing exceptionally well for itself.
The second Iron Man movie, titled Iron Man 2, was about Tony Stark being pressured to share his technology with the military. He is afraid of what could happen if his suits were to go into the wrong hands, to which he finds the answer very soon. The movie ends with a teaser of The Avengers. This grossed $312 million and a total of $621 million worldwide, quite a bit more than the first edition with a production budget of $170 million.
The final movie which is titled Iron Man 3 takes place after the events of The Avengers where a wormhole opened in New York. Tony Stark suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is unable to sleep, and is constantly trying to protect the ones he loves with the help of his suits that signify his persona. After a new enemy emerges, he reduces this personal world to rubble and must rely on his instinct and ingenuity to protect the people he loves. This movie did exceptionally well, grossing $408 million domestically and a total of $1.2 billion with a budget of $200 million.
How Much Did the MCU’s Spider-Man Franchise Make in Total?
The first Spider-Man movie, titled Spider-Man: Homecoming, takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil War, the movie that introduces the character of Peter Parker. After this, Peter is trying to get used to his mundane life of crime-fighting under disguise and high school chemistry. He is trying to impress his mentor, Tony Stark, who is helping Parker in becoming his best superhero self. This movie made $334 million domestically and $878 million worldwide with a production budget of $175 million.
The second movie in the series is called Spider-Man: Far From Home. This movie introduces a new villain who hurts our protagonist in one of the worst ways we have seen yet. The twist at the end made us surprised beyond measure and highly anticipating what was to come next for the character. This movie did extremely well at the box office, grossing a total of $390 million domestically and $1.1 billion worldwide after having a budget of $160 million.
The final and perhaps the most memorable movie from this franchise, Spider-Man: No Way Home, brought back some of the most iconic characters in the MCU and left fans screaming in the theater. This movie did outstandingly well, grossing $814 million domestically and $1.9 billion worldwide with a budget of $200 million, making this the sixth-highest-grossing movie ever.
Did the MCU’s Spider-Man Franchise Make More Than the Iron Man Franchise?
Tony Stark is Peter Parker’s mentor in the Marvel Universe and the Iron Man franchise was the reason the MCU is what it is today. So it is quite surprising that the Spider-Man movie series is Marvel Studio’s biggest money-making asset and not Robert Downey Jr‘s Iron Man.
The Iron Man franchise made a total profit of $2.4 billion throughout 3 movies whereas The Spider-Man franchise, also with three movies, made a total of $3.9 billion. Could it be that the student surpassed his teacher?
Source: The Numbers
