10 Biggest Summer Blockbuster Movies Of The 2020s So Far (2024)

The recent box office hits for the summer movie blockbusters of the 2020s had a slow start due to the pandemic, but the last few years have seen a revitalization of the movies. None of the biggest earners of the past several years premiered in 2020, and many films pushed back their release dates knowing that it would take some time before people were back in theaters. However, once people returned, it became clear how important the summer blockbuster is, and how much audiences want to see new movies as they're intended to be viewed; at the cinema.

The highest-grossing movies of the 2020s include many summer blockbusters and represent a wide variety of genres. With more than one film passing the 1 billion mark in worldwide gross revenue, the direct-to-streaming model has been fading. As it's still early in the 2024 season, no movie has distinguished itself as the hit of the summer quite yet. However, there's still plenty of time for new and exciting films to draw audiences to the screen. To this day, the summer blockbuster is known for explosive action, franchise sequels, and family comedies, so there's something for everyone at the movies.

10 The Little Mermaid (2023)

Worldwide - $569,626,289; Domestic - $298,172,056

Disney's live-action reboots of their classic animated fairytales haven't always received warm critical reception, but they've made great returns at the box office. The recent adaptation of The Little Mermaid included many high-profile stars, like Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and Javier Bardem. Despite the slight initial controversy about who should play Ariel, once the movie premiered it became more obvious than ever that Ariel is a universal character who can come from anywhere and represent anyone. As the first film was released in 1989, enough time had passed for audiences to be interested in a new take on the story.

2023 was a huge year for summer blockbusters, giving The Little Mermaid lots of competition at the box office. However, the movie appealed to audiences young and old. It promised updated themes and musical numbers, as well as beautifully shot underwater scenes to immerse the viewer in the story. Based on the success of The Little Mermaid, it's likely that Disney will continue its trend of live-action iterations of the classics. Disney's live-action Hercules seems to be on deck for the studio's next project.

The Little Mermaid (2023)

PG

Musical

Family

Fantasy

Adventure

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

The Little Mermaid is a live-action remake in the same vein as many of Disney's others, like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. Halle Bailey stars as Ariel, a young mermaid who desperately wants to see the world above the ocean. However, her father, King Triton (Javier Bardem), refuses to let her. A pact with the sea witch, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), will give her all that she desires, but at a price.

Director

Rob Marshall

Release Date

May 26, 2023

Cast

Halle Bailey , Jonah Hauer-King , Melissa McCarthy , Javier Bardem , Daveed Diggs , Jacob Tremblay , Awkwafina

Runtime

135 Minutes

Budget

$200 million

9 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023)

Worldwide - $690,615,475; Domestic - $381,311,319

When Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse premiered in 2018, it didn't take long for the sequel to be announced, and for the filmmakers to work tirelessly to get it out in just five years. With animated films, the process is much longer and labor-intensive than with some live-action movies. However, even with the wait, viewers didn't lose excitement or enthusiasm for the movie, heading to the theater in droves when it was released. The next installment, Beyond The Spider-Verse, may take a little longer, but will likely perform just as well if not better.

As superhero movies and franchises are at an all-time high and oversaturating the market, the Spider-Verse movies were something new and refreshing that audiences had never seen before. The art and animation styles were captivating and have been influential in the look of animated films of the 2020s. Though there has been some criticism about recent films operating as parts of a whole instead of standalone stories, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is a compelling watch, with or without the next movie.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

PG

Superhero

Animation

Action

Adventure

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

See Also

Disney's live-action version of 'The Little Mermaid' arrives soon. Here's what to know.Disney Shoves Aside Halle Bailey's Ariel, Another New Version of 'The Little Mermaid' Announced - Inside the Magic‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Reboot to Star Camila Mendes, Madelyn Cline (Exclusive)

*Availability in US

Miles Morales returns in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. With his identity still safe but "grounded" by his parents, Miles Morales is visited by his friend from another dimension, Gwen Stacy. Inviting him on a new adventure, Miles jumps at the opportunity but is seemingly accosted by an unknown assailant on his journey. Miles and Gwen will unite with new and old Spider-Heroes to face a villain of immeasurable power.

Director

Joaquim Dos Santos , Kemp Powers , Justin K. Thompson

Release Date

June 2, 2023

Cast

Shameik Moore , Hailee Steinfeld , Oscar Isaac , Jake Johnson

Runtime

140 Minutes

Franchise(s)

Spider-Verse , Spider-Man

Budget

$100 Million

8 Thor: Love And Thunder (2022)

Worldwide - $760,928,081; Domestic - $343,256,830

Although Thor: Love and Thunder is considered one of Marvel's worst films in terms of story, visual style, and overall quality, that doesn't change the numbers. In 2022, fans were just starting to return to the theater in numbers seen pre-pandemic, and big studios like Marvel have always been a major draw at the box office. Thor is one of the few franchises associated with The Avengers that has continued after Avengers: Endgame and part of its success could be attributed to the audience's desire to have more Avengers content.

There are many strong elements in Thor: Love and Thunder that could have come together to make a solid and cohesive film, but it fell victim to the Marvel mentality of releasing it as soon as possible. Issues with CGI and continuity problems are frequent complaints lodged against the movie, but it can't be considered a failure due to its monetary performance. However, after the critical backlash following the premiere, Marvel has stepped up its game in other corners of the franchise.

Thor: Love and Thunder

PG-13

Action

Fantasy

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Superhero

Thor: Love & Thunder is the fourth Thor film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and director Taika Waititi's second outing with the character. The movie finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey to find inner piece. But when Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) goes on a killing rampage against the gods, Thor is thrown back into the action. Tessa Thompson returns as Valkyrie, as does Waititi’s Korg. Natalie Portman also returns to the franchise for the first time in nine years as Jane Foster, who transforms into the Mighty Thor to wield Mjolnir.

Director

Taika Waititi

Release Date

July 8, 2022

Cast

Christian Bale , Russell Crowe , Tessa Thompson , ​Chris Pratt2 , Natalie Portman , Karen Gillan , Chris Hemsworth

Runtime

118 minutes

Franchise(s)

Thor , Marvel Cinematic Universe

Budget

$250 million

7 Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Worldwide - $845,555,777; Domestic - $358,995,815

Which of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies will be considered the best of the series in later years is still up for debate, but Vol. 3 was a strong follow-up to the second film and an emotionally compelling story. It wrapped up the love story between Peter (Christ Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) empathetically and could have been a reasonable conclusion to the series as a whole. However, it also laid the groundwork for the next phase of Guardians movies and outlined who the new team will be moving forward.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 4 isn't out of the question, and based on the returns that Vol. 3 had in the summer of 2023, another movie in the franchise wouldn't be risky. As with the other 2023 summer hits, Vol. 3 had significant competition. However, in the superhero genre, specifically live-action, it was one of the few movies to come out. While DC's The Flash was also an offering at the 2023 summer box office, it continued the trend of paling in comparison to Marvel's projects.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

PG-13

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Action

Superhero

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

The conclusion to the trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, will see the Guardians on one final adventure together as they face off with the powerful Adam Warlock - one of the most significant threats the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever seen. To protect a friend and their world as they know it, Peter Quill and his allies will band together to save one of their own and the galaxy from certain doom.

Director

James Gunn

Release Date

May 5, 2023

Cast

Chris Pratt , Dave Bautista , Karen Gillan , Zoe Saldana , Bradley Cooper , Pom Klementieff , Vin Diesel , Elizabeth Debicki

Runtime

116 Minutes

Franchise(s)

Guardians of the Galaxy , Marvel Cinematic Universe

Budget

$250 Million

6 Minions: The Rise Of Gru (2022)

Worldwide - $940,203,765; Domestic - $370,270,765

Despicable Me was a fun and well-received children's movie when it came out in 2010. However, Illumination Entertainment couldn't have predicted that the minions would become the cultural phenomenon they are today. The Despicable Me movies have supplied plenty of sequels on their own, but the Minions spinoffs have blown them out of the water. In Minions: The Rise of Gru, the film tells the story of how Gru became the evil mastermind audiences know and love in the Despicable Me films, taking place in the 1970s.

Children of all ages love the minions, and these kids and their parents made up a large part of the audience buying tickets for the movie. To draw in older viewers, Minions: The Rise of Gru collaborated with many well-known musical artists, like Kali Uchis, Diana Ross, and Tame Impala to create covers of classic songs from the '70s. This allowed for a strong marketing campaign that cultivated interest and excitement for the release. Additionally, the early July release capitalized on family vacations over the Fourth of July weekend, as holidays are always good for box office revenue.

Minions: The Rise of Gru

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Minions: The Rise of Gru is the second Minions film and the fifth movie overall in the Despicable Me franchise. The Minions sequel again stars Steve Carell as an eleven-year-old Gru who wants to become a supervillain. The only problem is that there's a new group in town called the Vicious 6 that puts a wrench in his plans.

Director

Brad Ableson , Kyle Balda

Release Date

July 1, 2022

Cast

Steve Carr , Pierre Coffin

Runtime

90 Minutes

Franchise(s)

Despicable Me

Budget

$80 Million

5 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)

Worldwide - $955,775,804; Domestic - $411,331,607

It's likely that within the next few years, there will be a marked dip in content about the multiverse and parallel universes. However, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness got in just under the wire and catapulted itself into a hit using the momentum from the genre's popularity. Additionally, the movie boasts some of the best MCU multiverse saga movie cameos, including John Krasinski, Charlize Theron, and Patrick Stewart as Professor X. At the core of this, Benedict Cumberbatch anchored the film alongside Elizabeth Olsen, who may not be seen in another Marvel project after this.

The director, Sam Raimi, can be credited for some of the best sequences of the film and the many actors he's worked with in the past who agreed to be featured in the movie. Like most multiverse films, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had many moving parts to contend with. However, the production team did an excellent job of making the story understandable even if viewers weren't aware of the entirety of Marvel's lore. For 2022, making this much money was a landmark for the studio, and came close to passing the $1 billion mark.

Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness

PG-13

Horror

Fantasy

Action

Superhero

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

In Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU takes a deeper dive into the Multiverse and the unknown, introducing variants of Strange and other familiar friends and foes - including The Illuminati - and offers a new perspective on how it works and connects. The story followsStephen Strange, now post-blip and no longer the Sorcerer Supreme. When a terrifying monster rampages through New York seeking to capture a young girl from another multiverse named America Chavez, Strange finds himself as her newfound protector. Unfortunately, his new foe is a former ally, Wanda Maximoff. To protect Chavez and stop Wanda's rampage, Strange travels the Multiverse looking for answers - and encounters engrossing and terrifying realities that expand the Marvel Universe in a whole new way.

Director

Sam Raimi

Release Date

May 6, 2022

Cast

Elizabeth Olsen , Michael Stuhlbarg , Benedict Wong , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Xochitl Gomez , Benedict Cumberbatch , Rachel McAdams , Bruce Campbell , John Krasinski , Patrick Stewart , Hayley Atwell , Lashana Lynch , Anson Mount

Runtime

126 minutes

Franchise(s)

Doctor Strange , Marvel Cinematic Universe

Budget

$172–200 million

4 Oppenheimer (2023)

Worldwide: $974,056,540; Domestic $329,862,540

Of all the most successful summer blockbusters of the 2020s, Oppenheimer is the most critically acclaimed, sweeping awards season. Cillian Murphy won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Christopher Nolan won for Best Director, and Oppenheimer won for Best Picture to name only a few of the movie's accolades. While Nolan has never had trouble at the box office, a historical drama/biopic about the atomic bomb wasn't necessarily primed for the success that Oppenheimer had. However, much of its box office draw is thanks to the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon, as Barbie was released on the same day.

This healthy competition allowed each film to reach bigger audiences and only elevated the other's success. Additionally, the film garnered attention for being shot on 70 mm IMAX film in both black and white and color. Due to this, Oppenheimer passed an IMAX box office milestone almost a year after its premiere. There are very few technical aspects of the film that haven't been praised by critics and audiences alike. Thanks to its success, both Nolan and Murphy will likely receive even bigger opportunities in the future.

Oppenheimer

R

Drama

History

Biography

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.

Director

Christopher Nolan

Release Date

July 21, 2023

Cast

Cillian Murphy , Emily Blunt , Matt Damon , Robert Downey Jr. , Rami Malek , Florence Pugh

Runtime

150 Minutes

Budget

$100 Million

3 Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Worldwide - $1,001,978,080; Domestic - $376,851,080

Following in the footsteps of Steven Spielberg, the director of Jurassic Park and creator of the summer blockbuster, Jurassic World Dominion has all the elements that make for a strong contender at the box office. It's a sequel to a long-running and beloved franchise, it has big stars and boasts unforgettable action scenes. It's also the most nostalgic of the Jurassic World series as it includes many of the original cast members from Jurassic Park. Though the story and performances are lacking, this didn't detract from its massive success.

It was the final installment in the Jurassic World trilogy, and there was acute pressure on the film to perform well at the box office considering how much Jurassic World Dominion cost to make, which was reportedly around $165 million. Luckily, both domestically and worldwide it hit its targets and ended the franchise's legacy on a significant high. If there's ever a return to the Jurassic Park and World series, it will have to contend with the amazing box office performance of Dominion.

Jurassic World Dominion

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Four years after Isla Nublar was destroyed in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Jurassic World: Dominionconcludes the Jurassic World trilogy. Dinosaurs once again walk the earth, now alongside humans, and Claire Dearing and Owen Grady live in isolation protecting the granddaughter of Sir Benjamin Lockwood, the former partner of John Hammond, the two who started the events that kicked off Jurassic Park. However, when Blue, the trained Velociraptor from Jurassic World, shows up at their cabin with its newborn, Owen and Claire soon discover that the Biosyn Corporation is pursuing the dinosaurs. The two will have to join other series regulars to uncover the truth of Biosyn's ulterior motives.

Director

Colin Trevorrow

Release Date

June 10, 2022

Cast

Bryce Dallas Howard , BD Wong , Daniella Pineda , DeWanda Wise , Isabella Sermon , Jeff Goldblum , Justice Smith , Campbell Scott , Dichen Lachman , Omar Sy , Laura Dern , Sam Neill , Scott Haze , Mamoudou Athie , Chris Pratt

Runtime

147 minutes

2 Barbie (2023)

Worldwide - $1,445,638,421; Domestic - $636,238,421

Though Barbie had all the makings of a box office smash, there were some concerns about drawing audiences outside the target demographic, namely men. However, there was little to worry about as Barbie easily passed $1 billion in worldwide gross, and was one of the most talked about movies of 2023. Like Oppenheimer, part of this was thanks to the media and internet attention following "Barbenheimer," but the movie would have been quite an achievement without it. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and directed by Greta Gerwig, plenty of big names were attached to the film that drew crowds.

There has been much debate and criticism surrounding Barbie, some justified and some not, but regardless, any form of conversation is good for business. Even critics and reviewers who disavowed the movie added to the conversation and made people all the more interested in seeing the film and forming their own opinions. Additionally, the gorgeous sets, amazing costume design, and high-profile ensemble cast provided great opportunities for sound bites and publicity. Though it didn’t receive much attention during awards season, it was an outstanding achievement with audiences.

Barbie

PG-13

Comedy

Adventure

Fantasy

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Barbie is a film adaptation of the generational iconic toy directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach. The film centers on Margot Robbie's Barbie who is expelled from Barbieland and travels with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world in search of happiness. The film also stars Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and several other famous celebrities in cameo roles.

Director

Greta Gerwig

Release Date

July 21, 2023

Cast

Margot Robbie , Ryan Gosling , Simu Liu , Ariana Greenblatt , Helen Mirren , Nicola Coughlan , John Cena , Will Ferrell , Ritu Arya , Michael Cera , America Ferrera , Alexandra Shipp , Kate McKinnon

Runtime

114 Minutes

Budget

$100 Million

1 Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Worldwide - $1,495,696,292; Domestic - $718,732,821

The long-awaited sequel to Tom Cruise's iconic film, Top Gun, finally arrived in 2022, and it was the universal signal to moviegoers and production companies that the movies were back. Cruise has always been a champion of the cinema, as well as a significant box office draw himself, and he made sure that Top Gun: Maverick would only be released in theaters. One of the highest-grossing movies of the 2020s so far, regardless of release date, Top Gun: Maverick more than earned back its budget and proved how instrumental theaters are to cinema.

Like every Cruise movie, Top Gun: Maverick features unbelievable stunts and practical effects that almost cross the line into superhuman abilities. Though Cruise's reprisal of Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is the heart and soul of the film, the inclusion of younger actors like Miles Teller and Glen Powell successfully captured the spirit of the original Top Gun and passed the baton to the next generation. For now, Cruise is hard at work on his completion of the Mission: Impossible series, but another Top Gun might outdo the explosive sequel.

Top Gun: Maverick

PG-13

Action

Drama

War

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film's events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick's late friend, forcing him to confront his past.

Director

Joseph Kosinski

Release Date

May 27, 2022

Cast

Tom Cruise , Miles Teller , Jennifer Connelly , Val Kilmer , Jay Ellis , Jon Hamm , Bashir Salahuddin , Charles Parnell , Lewis Pullman , Glen Powell , Monica Barbaro , Ed Harris

Runtime

130 Minutes

Franchise(s)

Top Gun

Budget

$170 Million

Source: Box Office Mojo.