Nothing beats getting engrossed in a film franchise, as you can always rest easy knowing that more films are on their way. In a certain way, the story never ends, as it continues to explore different avenues when it comes to the backstories of characters, and that has helped billions of fans become engrossed in certain franchises throughout history.
Whether it be a superhero like Lara Croft, who is the star of her very own Betway casino title, or a wizarding world such as Harry Potter, fans are quick to gravitate towards franchises, which make them among the most successful films in the history of cinema. But, which franchises are among the highest grossing in history?
Marvel Cinematic Universe
There is no denying that one of the most commercially successful movie franchises this side of the millennium has been the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The franchise released its first film in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, before that kickstarted Phase One, which ended with The Avengers. Two hugely successful phases have been shared since then, which was completed with the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, which ended Phase Two.
Plans are already underway for the next three phases, with the final film in that series being the release of Avengers: The Kang Destiny. The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is clear from the money that has been taken over the past 14 years, with the franchise picking up more than $22.5 billion from its releases. That includes the highest-grossing film of all-time in Avengers: Endgame.
Star Wars
It seems remarkable the difference in commercial success that the top two franchises have enjoyed on this list. Star Wars sits second on the overall list, having taken in $10.2 billion throughout its esteemed history. However, in truth, there are few more successful franchises when it comes to opening the eyes of viewers to a new kind of film.
Star Wars remains the most successful Sci-Fi film in history, and it continues to attract new viewers 40 years after the release of the very first film. In total, 12 films were part of the Skywalker Saga, which included the three that focused on the new force with references to Darth Vadar. Meanwhile, there have been two other standalone films. Star Wars has also made movies into television following the success of Disney+, with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor among the most successful that are available on the streaming site.
The Wizarding World
Who would have thought back in 2001 when Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was released that Harry Potter would become the phenomenon it is today? The Wizarding World franchise has grossed over $9.6 billion since the release of the first film, which has spun over eight Harry Potter films and three Fantastic Beasts releases.
It has also experienced a lot of success on stage, with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child gaining hugely favourable reviews during its history. Fans are even able to get closer to the stories of the Wizarding World with the studios open to fans in Watford, England, and a featured resort in Universal Studios. The success of the franchise isn’t likely to end any time soon either, as there will be two more releases in the Fantastic Beats series, and a number of projects set in the Wizarding World have been teased by HBO MAX.
James Bond
One of the most historic franchises in the history of cinema unsurprisingly makes the list of the top five. James Bond is one of the longest-running franchises in the history of cinema, with 24 films having been released since 1963. The role of Bond is one of the most prestigious accolades that an actor can have bestowed on them, with Daniel Craig being the most recent actor to have played 007.
Other stars that have made the role their own throughout their careers include Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Roger Moore. To date, there have been seven actors that have played Bond, but the search for the eighth is underway as Craig announced that No Time To Die, which was released earlier this year, would be his last.
Spider-Man
While Spider-Man also appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he also has his name to his only standalone franchise. To date, the series has picked up more than $6.3 million during Spideys history on the big screen, and that is even more impressive given that the web-slinger only made his cinematic debut in 2002. Only four actors have been able to play the featured character, including the animatic version titled Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
Tobey Maguire was the first to reprise the role, before Andrew Garfield played Spider-Man in two standalone films. Tom Holland currently portrays the hero from Queens. However, one of the most successful films in history saw all three reprise their roles, as Spider-Man: No Way Home broke box office records around the world.