Spider-Man: Brand New Day Just Became the Highest-Grossing Domestic Film Ever — Dethroning Star Wars After 11 Years

Tom Holland's Web-Slinger Just Rewrote Box Office History

Move over, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. After holding the domestic box office crown for 11 straight years with $936.6 million, the record has officially been shattered — and it took a kid from Queens in a red suit to do it.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Tom Holland alongside Zendaya, has surpassed $936.7 million domestically in roughly 47 days, making it the highest-grossing film ever at the North American box office. Globally, the numbers are even more staggering — the film crossed the $2 billion mark worldwide in just three weekends, becoming only the third MCU movie to ever hit that milestone.

Even Lucasfilm tipped their hat: the official Star Wars account posted a congratulatory message to the Brand New Day team, calling the achievement "one with the Force." If that isn't peak Hollywood sportsmanship, we don't know what is.

What Made Brand New Day a Phenomenon?

The film opened on July 31 and immediately tracked as the biggest opening of 2026. Cretton, previously known for directing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, brought a fresh perspective to Peter Parker's fourth solo outing. Early reviews praised the movie as "the best Spidey adventure in 20 years," with Collider's Charlie Ridgley leading the charge.

The story picks up after the events of No Way Home, opening with a montage of Peter clashing with villains like Scorpion, Tombstone, and The Hand. Tramell Tillman brings a menacing performance as Bill Metzger, while Sadie Sink plays a mysterious new character whose role director Cretton said was specifically chosen for this chapter of Peter's journey. The inclusion of Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and a surprising Jean Grey cameo also helped connect the film to the broader MCU Phase 6 storyline — though Cretton insists neither character was a "Marvel mandate."

The 2026 Box Office Is Having a Historic Year

Spider-Man isn't the only blockbuster flexing this year. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey recently surpassed Jurassic World to become Universal's highest-grossing film ever at $1.68 billion globally. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Obsession both drove AMC to report a surprise quarterly profit, signaling that the post-pandemic box office slump is officially over.

As People magazine noted, the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2026 include Brand New Day, The Odyssey, and Obsession — a diverse slate that proves audiences are showing up for spectacle, story, and star power alike.

What's Next for Spider-Man?

With $2 billion in the bank and the domestic crown firmly on its head, the inevitable question is already buzzing: Is Spider-Man 5 happening? Sony has yet to make an official announcement, but insiders suggest the studio is facing "the happiest kind of question" — when, not if. Meanwhile, Cretton has already been tapped for Paramount's upcoming Hawaii Five-O movie adaptation, proving that Brand New Day has launched another director into the A-list stratosphere.

For now, Tom Holland sits atop Hollywood's throne. From the MCU's youngest Avenger to the biggest domestic box office draw in cinema history — that's one hell of a brand new day.