With 2023 drawing to a close, the greatest movies released this year deserve a recall. Notably, this year brought in mighty blockbusters and some tragic flops as well. Hollywood also sensed some stiff competition between superhero giants: Marvel and DC, for better or worse.
While Marvel precedes the latter in the blockbusters, DC tried their best, but it wasn’t simply their year. Nevertheless, highlighting the films that racked up massive numbers at the global box office, here are the top 10 highest-grossing movies of 2023.
Top 10 highest-grossing movies of 2023:
1. Barbie
As the name suggests, the film was highly anticipated to draw in a female audience, given it was named after a popular toy perceived for girls. However, director Greta Gerwig certainly had more to it. The film shot to the top despite being released on the same day as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Racking in $1.4 billion worldwide and $636 million domestically.
2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
2023 was graced with an adaptation of the iconic Nintendo game, Super Mario. Starring Chris Pratt and Anya-Taylor Joy, The Super Mario Bros. The movie was a box-office smash. It was initially at the top of the highest-grossing films, only to be surpassed by Barbie. Regardless, the film’s global collections stand at $1.3 billion, being one of only two movies that hit the billion-dollar mark.
3. Oppenheimer
While Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer gave cut-throat competition to Barbie, the film got stagnant after crossing $951 million, just $50 million away from scoring a billion at the box office. However, the movie’s home video sales are on fleek. The biographical was critically acclaimed and is in talks of landing Oscar nominations.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3
Another Chris Pratt-starrer on the top-grossing movies list. Based on Marvel Comics’s superheroes, Guardians of the Galaxy kicked off on-screen in 2014. Eventually turning into a blockbuster franchise, the third installment, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. released this year boasts a $845 million box office collection worldwide. A win for Marvel.
5. Fast X
The latest addition to the Fast & Furious franchise, Fast X received mixed reviews, ranging from average to bad. However, the box-office earnings beg to differ. Despite being the eleventh installment in the film series, the numbers rose to $704 million worldwide, which is still more than Marvel’s widely acclaimed film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Five years after the 2018 blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse teased the possibility of a Spider-Man multiverse, the second installment was gifted to fans. Across the Spider-Verse was greatly received by the audience, rolling in great reviews from critics. It was an easy hit, with $690 million worldwide income, making it the sixth highest-grossing film of 2023.
7. The Little Mermaid
Adapted from the popular fairy tale, Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy, among other notable cast members. Budgeted at a reported $297 million, the movie hauled in an average global box office income of $569 million.
With a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the live-action remake was well-received by critics and viewers. Centered on Bell’s Ariel, the movie unfolds the adventures of the sea and beyond and is a treat to the fantasy genre.
8. Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Hollywood’s heartthrob, Tom Cruise, was back in action this year with the seventh sequel of the Mission Impossible franchise. With a $567 million global box-office income, against a budget of $172 million, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One was decently successful in capitalization. Moreover, a sequel titled Dead Reckoning Part Two is already expected to be released in 2025.
9. Elemental
Walt Disney Pictures’ Elemental raked in $495 million. While that might not be a jaw-dropping statistic, the movie was coherently refreshing and well, adorable. The film unfolds around Ember Lumen, the fire element, and its water counterpart, Wade Ripple. Yet, the film was panned by critics at Cannes and in general, which significantly affected Elemental’s gross earnings.
10. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Marvel’s attempt to bag another blockbuster spot did not come to fruition, although we can not say if it was a completely failed attempt as well. The box office earnings screamed a $476 million global income, although against a massive budget of $214 million. Fans weren’t as enthralled by the third sequel of the Ant-Man film series, as Ant-Man and the Wasp, which earned $216 million.
Was 2023 a DC or Marvel year?
Pitting the superhero giants, DC, and Marvel against each other has been a favorite for superhero fans all this time. Speaking of 2023, the best release from Marvel was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 while DC failed to make any name for itself despite releasing films fans looked forward to.
A dry spell for DC comics, Blue Beetle, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and The Flash hit theatres this year. Unfortunately, none of them were able to make any box-office splashes. The Flash grossed $270 million with an 18th rank for highest-grossing films this year. Whereas, Shazam! and Blue Beetle tagged along at the 34th and 35th rank, respectively.
Marvel films did a fair job with GOTG Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. However, the box office income of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may leave one scratching their head. The Paul Rudd-starrer was bombed, with a 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest for any MCU movie ever. Owing to MCU’s ritual of third films making splashes, the hype for Quantumania was immense.
The high expectations for the third film of the Ant-Man saga were severed after its release, as it was criticized by viewers. However, it ended up giving a decent global box-office income to the sequel, raking in $476 million, and listing at the 10th position for highest-grossing films of this year. Although it is worth noting that despite Quantumania‘s poor ratings, it still did better than all three DC films. Do we have a winner?
