With the release of Top Gun: Maverick last summer, Tom Cruise has the chance to beat out Cameron’s Avatar: Way of Water at the box office and even beyond as he continues to make hit movies. Over the years, James Cameron has made box office history with hits like Titanic and Avatar – however, giving him some competition can only be a good thing. This battle for cinema fame could overpower the long-running power of superhero movies, break box office records, and bring life back to movie theaters around the world.
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When James Cameron released the first Avatar in 2009, the director broke a box office record, bringing in 2.9 billion dollars globally. Then, when he returned with Avatar: Way of Water thirteen years later, he did it again, breaking his own record so that the sequel would rest as the third highest-grossing film in history at nearly 2.3 billion dollars globally. However, Cameron’s glory isn’t completely set in stone. When it comes to domestic box office records, Tom Cruise is on the rise.
Related: 2023’s Huge Box Office Recovery Isn’t Just Because of Avatar 2
Top Gun: Maverick Is Still Beating Avatar 2’s Domestic Box Office
Although James Cameron has beat out everyone when it comes to the global box office, he has a fierce competitor in Tom Cruise at the domestic box office. Top Gun: Maverick was released several months before Avatar: Way of Water in the summer of 2022 as opposed to December 2022, and this release point has seemingly helped Top Gun: Maverick surpass Avatar: Way of Water in terms of domestic income. Top Gun: Maverick has earned approximately $719,000,000 while Avatar: Way of Water has come in at approximately $672,000,000. This puts Tom Cruise at almost 50,000,000 more dollars than James Cameron when it comes to current domestic grossing.
This feat is exciting because it gives Tom Cruise a definite edge over James Cameron’s monopoly over the box office. With this accomplishment, Tom Cruise can continue gaining momentum and create a challenge between the box office cornerstone figures, especially as more of his films come out. This competition will certainly continue as Cameron releases the next movies in the Avatar franchise and Cruise moves on with his own franchises and new works. At this point, Top Gun: Maverick’s success is undeniable and could still go up as the movies come to streaming.
Mission: Impossible 7 Can Repeat Top Gun 2’s Domestic Box Office Domination
Tom Cruise has another chance to dominate the box office with his next film, Mission: Impossible 7. With James Cameron’s Avatar 3 not coming until 2024, Tom Cruise’s next installment in the Mission Impossible franchise could continue his upward momentum after Top Gun: Maverick. The Mission Impossible movies have continued to keep Tom Cruise in the game and definitely garner major attention in theaters. Especially considering the success of Top Gun: Maverick, there’s a solid chance that Mission: Impossible 7 will do well and add yet another film to Tom Cruise’s domestic box office success.
Another aspect of Mission: Impossible 7’s potential success is its role as the penultimate film in the franchise. Just as Avatar: Way of Water brought in audiences because of the anticipation of its release after so many years, Mission: Impossible 7 will create a sense of excitement as it brings Cruise’s beloved character, Ethan Hunt, to a monumental end. Because audiences will want to see how the series will end, as it’s certain to be epic, Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 in 2024 will no doubt contribute further to Cruise’s success.
Related: Every Movie Avatar 2 Hasn’t Beaten at the Box Office Yet (And When it Will)
What Avatar: The Way Of Water’s Domestic Box Office Total Could Be
As of now, Avatar: Way of Water has made $6.7 million at the domestic box office. As the film enters streaming and VOD (video on demand), it will likely affect the flow of box office totals. The original Avatar earned $7.8 million, placing it just above Top Gun: Maverick and four spots above its sequel. Despite being released a few months ago, Avatar: Way of Water has not started streaming yet, though Disney+ does plan to release it at some point in 2023. Additionally, the film will be available on video at the end of March 2023.
This hiatus of streaming Avatar: Way of Water on Disney+ could be in hopes of garnering more box office success with some final viewings. This is a viable strategy, as leaving the movie only accessible in cinemas for longer could benefit it overall. However, it could also stagnate, if the hype for the film has already dissipated.
The New Box Office Rivalry Is James Cameron Vs. Tom Cruise, Not The MCU
For many years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has controlled movie theaters and remained at the top of audiences’ minds over and over again. The franchise has even made its own records at the box office, with Avengers: Endgame coming in as the second highest-grossing film both globally and domestically. However, with the return of James Cameron’s movie magic and the continuing rise of Tom Cruise, this rivalry could make Marvel superheroes lose their box office hold altogether. Cameron has a string of successes that only a seasoned professional like Tom Cruise could hope to beat, and many audiences may jump onto their franchises if only to form their own opinions on the matter.
While there’s no telling where the box office numbers may go, Tom Cruise has an optimistic future as Top Gun: Maverick floats high over Avatar: Way of Water. His next film, Mission: Impossible 7 will just be the next step in his journey to beating out James Cameron’s outstanding winning streak at the box office. However, once Avatar returns to theaters in 2024, the competition for bragging rights will surely be in full swing. This rivalry is certainly one that will be ongoing over the next few years and could come close to beating out even the epic fictional heroes that Cruise plays on-screen.
More: Mission Impossible 7 Can’t Recreate Top Gun: Maverick’s Box Office Impact
Tom Cruise Can Still Beat Avatar: The Way Of Water’s Box Office (Twice)
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