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‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Soars Past Marvel’s Avengers At The U.S. Box Office

Move over, Avengers, a new kind of superhero is in town — one that swaps out the special abilities and capes for the ability to take to the skies. The cinematic masterpiece that is Top Gun: Maverick has officially surpassed Marvel’s The Avengers in box office earnings in the U.S., racking up a staggering US$623.8 million.

The result places it as the ninth highest-grossing film of all time in the States, behind Jurassic World: Dominions US$653 million haul. The milestone follows the movie’s already impressive track record at the theatres, topping the US$1 billion mark at the worldwide box office after it snagged Tom Cruise his biggest hit to date.

It’s a welcome return for Top Gun: Maverick, which takes places decades after the events of the first film. The long-awaited sequel sees Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell back in the pilot’s seat, as he returns to the Top Gun school for one last mission. It has garnered universal critical acclaim, and even prompted a super fan in Singapore to catch it 45 times in 45 days.

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Whether the movie will continue its ascent remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely that it’ll break into America’s top six consisting of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (US$936.6 million), Avengers: Endgame (US$858.3 million), Spider-Man: No Way Home (US$804.7 million), Avatar ($760 million), Black Panther (US$700 million) and Avengers: Infinity War (US$678 million).

Still, it has been a very good run for Top Gun: Maverick, especially in a year dominated by superhero movies. The use of exhilarating aerial stunts and lack of CGI effects is a fresh breath of air from the usual bombastic action in the latter, which has led to superhero fatigue with Marvel Phase 4 titles such as Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.

The film stars Tom Cruise as Maverick alongside Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Ed Harris, Danny Ramirez, Manny Jacinto, and Greg Tarzan Davis.