Top 10 Most Expensive Marvel Movies Ever Made

Eternals is the top 10 highest-budget MCU movies ever made with a budget of $236.2 million. It is the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as well as part of Phase Four of the MCU. The film grossed $402 million worldwide and received some awards and nominations, but it also became the first MCU film to not receive generally positive reviews.

The film was directed by Chloé Zhao, who wrote the screenplay with Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo. It stars an ensemble cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. In the film, the Eternals, immortal alien beings, emerge from hiding after thousands of years to protect Earth from their ancient counterparts, the Deviants.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the sequel to Black Panther (2018), the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the final film in Phase Four of the MCU, which was written & directed by Ryan Coogler. Ideas for a sequel began after the release of Black Panther in February 2018 and Marvel Studios officially confirmed the sequel’s development in mid-2019. Plans for the film changed in August 2020 when Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer, with Marvel choosing not to recast his role of T’Challa.

It stars Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther, alongside Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett. In the film, the leaders of Wakanda fight to protect their nation in the wake of King T’Challa’s death.

The film was made on a production budget of $200-$250 million and released on November 11, 2022, generally received positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $859 million worldwide, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2022.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It was made on a budget of $250 million and it grossing over $845 million worldwide, and becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2023.

The film was written and directed by James Gunn, it features Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Will Poulter, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Linda Cardellini, Nathan Fillion, and Sylvester Stallone. In the film, the Guardians embark on a mission to protect Rocket (Cooper) from the High Evolutionary (Iwuji).

The sequel to Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and the 29th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was directed by Taika Waititi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, and stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor alongside Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Waititi, Russell Crowe, and Natalie Portman.

The film’s production budget of $250 million made it one of the most expensive films ever made and grossed over $761 million worldwide, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2022. An interesting fact about the film was Natalie Portman is vegan, so she revealed that her co-star Chris Hemsworth did not eat meat before their kissing scene.

The top six highest-budget Marvel movie is Captain America: Civil War with a massive production budget of $250 million and grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2016 and receiving positive reviews. The film was the first to use IMAX’s digital 2D cameras (for the film’s central airport fight sequence). Visual effects were provided by nearly 20 different studios.

It is the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and the 13th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Anthony and stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Marisa Tomei, Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, Martin Freeman, William Hurt, and Daniel Brühl.

Black Widow is based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name. It is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With an estimated budget of $288.5 million, Black Widow became the 5th most expensive MCU movie ever made and also, it broke several pandemic box office records and grossed over $379 million worldwide.

The film was directed by Cate Shortland from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Olga Kurylenko, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz. Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), the film sees Romanoff on the run and forced to confront her past as a Russian spy before she became an Avenger.

Spider-Man 3 is the final installment in Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, and the sequel to Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004) was directed by Sam Raimi. The film stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell, Rosemary Harris, and J. K. Simmons. The film also marks the final film appearance of Cliff Robertson before his retirement and death in 2011.

During post-production, Sony Pictures Imageworks created over 900 visual effects shots. With an estimated production budget of $258–350 million, it was the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release. The film grossed $895 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of the trilogy, the third-highest-grossing film of 2007, and the highest-grossing Spider-Man film until it was surpassed by Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019.

In the film, the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy attempt to prevent Thanos from collecting the six all-powerful Infinity Stones as part of his quest to kill half of all life in the universe. It features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldaña, Josh Brolin, and Chris Pratt.

Avengers: Infinity War is the 19th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. The film was made on a budget of $325–400 million and $2 billion worldwide, breaking numerous box office records, the fourth film and the first superhero film to gross over $2 billion worldwide, and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2018 and the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time both worldwide and in the United States and Canada.

Avengers: Endgame is the direct sequel to Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In the film, the surviving members of the Avengers and their allies attempt to reverse Thanos’s actions in Infinity War.

With an estimated budget of $356–400 million, the film is ranked in the second position on the biggest budget Marvel movie list. The film grossed $2.798 billion worldwide, surpassing Infinity War’s entire theatrical run in just eleven days and breaking numerous box office records, including becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. The film received praise for its direction, acting, musical score, action sequences, visual effects, and emotional weight.

With a production budget of $365 million, the film is rank on the first number on the highest-budget Marvel movie list as well as the second most expensive film ever made. It is the sequel to The Avengers (2012) and the 11th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), written and directed by Joss Whedon.

It stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Linda Cardellini, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2015 and the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time during its run.