The Avengers: Endgame rerelease is still underway. Having watched the original film three times already, I decided to see it once more. With the release of Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, I wanted to revisit the story and see whether I could connect a few more dots in the ever-expanding Marvel multiverse. Besides, there was the promise of something in the post-credits scene that I was particularly eager to see.

The rerelease certainly seems well-timed to rekindle excitement for Doomsday. But let’s be honest—could a rather petty subplot also be unfolding behind the scenes? Perhaps another battle is being fought, one that has nothing to do with superheroes saving the universe: the race to reclaim the No. 1 spot at the all-time worldwide box office. And should Endgame close the gap on James Cameron’s original Avatar, the Marvel–Disney machine might just pull off another spectacular comeback.

Would James Cameron eventually retaliate by rereleasing the original Avatar, perhaps under the convenient pretext of promoting the franchise’s fourth installment, while quietly plotting to wrest the crown back from the Avengers? Well, that remains to be seen. As they say, the plot thickens! And with Spider-Man web-swinging toward the top of the leaderboard, the plot might thicken even more.

Now, if I were to decide the winner purely on sentimental grounds, the verdict would be easy. As a big fan of Iron Man—and being a “Tony” myself, just like Tony Stark—I would gladly hand the crown to Avengers: Endgame without a second thought. But the researcher in me refuses to let personal attachment dictate the outcome. He insists that I set aside my superhero loyalties, put sentiment on the sidelines, and examine the evidence through a set of reasonably objective and measurable criteria. After all, if I am going to crown a champion, I had better make sure that my judgment is guided by more than my admiration for the man inside that red-and-gold suit.

Sorry, Tony Stark. This time, even your genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist credentials won’t earn you extra points.

But jokes aside, who truly deserves the cinematic crown if we look beyond the staggering mountains of cash these movies have accumulated? To answer that question, I developed a multidimensional framework to evaluate these box-office titans on a more level playing field. After all, the final box-office gross is not the be-all and end-all of cinematic success. There is much more to the story than the billions printed on the scoreboard.

So, let the cinematic showdown begin.

PART TWO