From Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man 3’ To James Gunn’s ‘Superman,’ Here Are The 13 Most Expensive Superhero Films Of All Time
Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are set to become the most expensive superhero films ever created. Their rumored budgets of over $1 billion each have raised concerns over the sustainability of superhero films.
Superhero films were largely considered financially ‘safe’ for studios until details emerged that Marvel spent over $400 million on Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame would evnetually dwarf those numbers, as their budgets were rumored to have closed in on the $1 billion mark, although the publicly stated costs are still within a reasonable range.
James Gunn’s soon-to-be-released Superman has since joined the list of the most expensive films ever made, according to a recent report. These numbers prove that studios are willing to invest big money in superhero films more than ever before, despite their unpredictable box office returns. As the genre enters the race of super budgets, it is therefore prudent to take a look at the most expensive superhero films on record.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Marvel Studios
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a post-pandemic miracle for the MCU as it beat the astronomical odds to earn $955 million globally. The film also unleashed the multiverse saga, with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange and Benedict Wong’s Wong cementing their place in the future of the MCU.
The success came at a high cost, though, as the film cost $415 million to produce and up to $200 million to market. The visual effects are the film’s highlight, perfectly expressing the horror elements, which largely redeemed its otherwise complicated plot. Its high costs were largely caused by the hardships surrounding its production. Fortunately, it proved to be a worthy investment and one of the most important MCU films.
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. Pictures
Pitching two of DC Universe’s greatest superheroes against each other was an ambitious marketing project, as fans always wanted to know who would win in a live-action battle between Superman and Batman. Featuring multiple high-profile DCU debuts, including Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, the anticipation for the film was exceptionally high. However, the star-studded casts meant the production costs ballooned to a whopping $250 to $300 million, plus another $150 million spent on marketing, putting the film’s costs north of $400 million.
The film, therefore, needed to make at least $1 billion to return a solid profit when cinema costs are included. While it was off to a good start, making $422 million on its opening weekend, word of mouth worked against it as critics panned its convoluted storyline, leading to one of the greatest Friday-to-Friday dropoffs in box office history. The film eventually grossed $873 million, making it a profitable venture in the end.
Spider-Man 3 (2007), Sony Pictures Entertainment
Before the arrival of the MCU and the DCEU, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 was the most expensive superhero film at the time of its release. The film cost an estimated 350 million in production, plus another $100-150 million in global marketing, pushing the film’s total cost over the dreaded $400 million mark. Spider-Man 3 is the conclusion of Sam Raimi’s trilogy starring Tobey Maguire as the titular web-slinger. Its rooted storyline won global acclaim, marking a vital turning point for future Spider-Man films and the superhero genre as a whole.
In the film, Peter Parker faces the triple threat of Sandman, Venom, and New Goblin in a balanced romance and action display. Its astronomical budget was a huge gamble by Sony Pictures at the time, because superhero films weren’t exactly known for breaking box office records. The investment paid off in the end as the film grossed a combined $894 million, turning a profit for Sony.
Captain America: Civil War (2016), Marvel Studios
Dabbed Avengers 2.5, Captain America: Civil War is one of the most significant films in MCU history; picking up right after the events in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Featuring a large ensemble cast, typically seen in Avengers films, Captain America: Civil War sees the team of superheroes divided into two factions, led respectively by Captain America and Iron Man, in a satisfying all-out loyalty vs accountability war. Besides introducing Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, the film gave audiences one of Robert Downey Jr.’s best MCU performances.
With such a large cast, costs were definitely going to be higher than the previous Captain America film, although the extended action scenes and over 3000 VFX shots more than justify the huge budget. However, its $250 million budget was $70 million more than Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which wasn’t too far behind in terms of global box office returns. Civil War still broke records, earning $1.15 billion to become the all-time highest-grossing Captain America film.
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The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Warner Bros. Pictures
The Dark Knight Rises was a befitting conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, earning over $1 billion at the box office to become one of the most profitable films of all time. The film, however, looks expensive from the very first scene, especially with most of the action shot on location. It uses minimal CGI and special effects, which also explains its ballooning costs.
Production costs are estimated at $250 million, making the film at least $70 million more expensive than its predecessor, The Dark Knight, which was fairly close regarding gross box office returns. Records are scant on how much Warner Bros. spent to market it, but a standard $100 million would put the cost at $350 million, making it one of the most expensive DC films of all time. Because anticipation for the film was high, it made sense for the studio to spend big on contract renewals for the cast members who weren’t contracted for all three films. Fortunately, the production made the film worth every penny, and the audiences loved it right back.
Man of Steel (2013), Warner Bros. Pictures
Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel fell short of everyone’s expectations, as the plot seemed more focused on setting up the next DC film than entertaining the audience. In the film, Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent takes on General Zod in an emotional encounter where Superman discovers the dark story of his origin.
After the disappointment of its predecessor, Superman Returns, Warner Bros. was clearly betting big on Snyder’s direction to change the course for the franchise, spending a whopping $225 million on the production. Most of the money clearly went to the film’s CGI-heavy battle scenes as well as the star-studded cast that includes Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, and Russell Crowe. With a reported $150 million spent on marketing and distribution, the film’s budget hit $400 million, putting more pressure on it to become a box office success, which it was.
Justice League (2017) / Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures
Justice League was a giant debacle that the DCEU never recovered from, as it killed its hopes of ever catching up with the MCU. The film follows the biggest DC universe superheroes, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash, as they fight to stop Steppenwolf and his army from taking over the planet. Zack Snyder had to step back from the film in post-production, leaving The Avengers Director Joss Whedon to handle the reshoots and, of course, take most of the blame for the film’s disastrous reception.
Warner Bros. sunk $300 million into the initial production, which already had its fair share of struggles. In 2021, Zack Snyder did a director’s cut whose reshoots cost another $70 million. With a combined production budget of $370million, Justice League was already one of the most expensive films ever created, even before accounting for marketing and distribution costs, estimated at $150 million. Grossing $657.9 million globally, the film hardly made its cost back.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was an emotional return to Wakanda after the death of Chadwick Boseman. Its predecessor, Black Panther, had become a cultural phenomenon, grossing over $1.3 billion on a $170 million budget to become one of the most profitable MCU films. Odds were heavily stacked against Wakanda Forever, though, as Ryan Coogler had to write his lead actor out of the script last minute after Chadwick’s passing.
The production still made do with what they had and released a deeply touching female-led banger with Angela Bassett’s Oscar-worthy performance as Queen Ramonda carrying the day. The film’s budgets were way higher than its predecessor, though, as the production cost an estimated $250 million, with another $150 million going to print and advertising to bring the total cost slightly over $400 million. Grossing $859 million globally, Wakanda Forever still became one of the most valuable films in 2022, proving the franchise’s resilience.
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The Marvels (2023), Marvel Studios
Set in space, The Marvels was the MCU’s multiversal crossover featuring Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau teaming up to stop a threat of cosmic proportions. To bring its otherworldly location to life, the film is dominated by VFX shots, which could partly explain its soaring expenses. The film’s total production cost is estimated at $270 million, the proof of Marvel’s confidence in the film’s female-led storyline.
With another estimated $110 million spent on marketing, The Marvels likely cost Disney over $370 million, a figure that would come to haunt the production team when the film made less than $200 million globally. The Marvels remains one of the biggest flops in the MCU’s history with an estimated net loss of over $200 million.
Superman (2025), DC Studios
James Gunn’s Superman heralded another highly anticipated reboot of the DC Universe, and just like Man of Steel in 2013, Warner Bros. took another big gamble. Despite James Gunn and DC Studios claiming that the film cost $225 million, tax filings by the production team in Ohio revealed that the film had a production budget of $363.8 million.
The film’s actual cost is only expected to be higher, especially after a series of reshoots that followed its first screening. With an estimated marketing and distribution budget of $200 million, Superman may now be one of the most expensive superhero films ever made. The ambitious investment is largely justified, though, as the film was meant to give Gunn a solid start in a new era for DC after over a decade of playing catch-up to the MCU.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Marvel Studios
Avengers: Age of Ultron was initially believed to have cost $365 million in production. However, a Forbes report, published in April 2018, revealed that the film’s actual production cost was about $495 million. Details on the cost of its print and distribution costs are scant, although even a standard $150 million would make it the most expensive superhero film ever. The film follows the Avengers as they struggle to take down Ultron, Tony Stark’s now-sentient, rogue advanced AI.
While it isn’t the fanciest of Avengers films, Avengers: Age of Ultron was largely successful at the box office, grossing over $1.3 billion globally to become one of the most successful MCU films. However, when the details of its extravagant budget emerged, it raised more questions as to where all that money went because the film doesn’t have any significant tweaks that would make it over $200 million more expensive than The Avengers (2012), which only cost $200-225 million.
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Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Marvel Studios
Avengers: Infinity War set the Infinity Saga on track to becoming a cultural phenomenon, grossing $2.04 billion while at it. A satisfying combination of chaos is the best way to describe the film, as it follows all of the MCU heroes on a mission to stop Thanos from getting all the infinity stones and wiping out half of humanity in the process. Its large ensemble cast with extensive battle scenes and CGI was definitely going to break the bank, though.
Initial reports put the film’s production budget at $321 million, which, despite being high, was over $100 million less than what Disney spent on Avengers: Age of Ultron. The film was heavily marketed for an estimated $250 million, bringing its cost to over $550 million, making it one of the most expensive endeavors in cinematic history. It still proved profitable with its hefty returns, though.
Avengers: Endgame (2019), Marvel Studios
The revival of the heroes in Avengers: Endgame after they were decimated by Thanos in Infinity War remains one of the greatest plot twists in film history. Avengers: Endgame cemented the MCU’s place as the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. Its global box office gross of $2.798 billion worldwide made it the second highest-grossing film of all time after Avatar. Avengers: Endgame was always going to be expensive, though, since Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and the rest of the returning cast had the ball in their coats. Marvel managed to keep the cost within a reasonable range, though. The reported production cost of the film was $400 million after most actors agreed to be paid a portion of the film’s box office earnings, keeping the initial costs down.
Everything about the film’s action and visuals was satisfactory, proving that directors Anthony and Joe Russo put the film’s giant budget to good use. Avengers: Endgame reportedly had a combined marketing budget of $500 million with Infinity War, which would put its individual share between $250-300 million. However, according to other reports, both Infinity War and Endgame cost over $1.3 billion, which means Disney likely made a lot less money from the duo than initially thought.
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