What was the first Marvel film to gross over $1 billion worldwide?

The Avengers was the first Marvel film to gross over $1 billion worldwide. Released in 2012, Marvel's superhero team-up became the studio's first production to cross that landmark in global ticket sales.

The film brought together characters previously introduced in Marvel films, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye. Directed and co-written by Joss Whedon, it served as the climactic film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase One. Its success demonstrated that audiences would turn out in enormous numbers for a shared cinematic universe rather than only for individual heroes.

“The Avengers” ultimately earned roughly $1.52 billion worldwide, including more than $623 million in the United States and Canada. It reached $1 billion in 19 days and became the highest-grossing film of 2012.

The other options came later or did not reach the milestone first. “Iron Man 3” eventually surpassed $1 billion, while “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Captain America: Civil War” were later Marvel billion-dollar releases. The key distinction is the word “first.”