It seems likely that Disney will keep its box office crown for 2022, although it may not be Marvel that earns them the big bucks this year - instead, it could well be Avatar 2 that keeps the House of Mouse at the top of the box office. After Spider-Man: No Way Home smashed box office expectations for Marvel's parent company at the tail end of 2021, it would seem a safe bet that the MCU will continue to rake in cash for Disney for 2022. However, it might be one of Disney's other acquired studios that reigns supreme over 2022's box office: 20th Century Studios with the much-anticipated Avatar 2.
When James Cameron's Avatar was released in 2009, it quickly became the highest-grossing film of all time - a title it held for almost a decade before being dethroned by Avengers: Endgame. Avatar's unprecedented success saw Cameron sign on for four sequels, with filming on Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 finally wrapping in late 2020. After numerous delays, Avatar 2 is currently scheduled for a December 2022 release, with Avatar 3 scheduled for December 2024.
As so many fans have waited so long for Avatar 2, it's understandably one of the most anticipated movies of 2022. Given the groundbreaking nature of the original Avatar and the time that's passed since its release, Avatar 2 is an exciting prospect for fans of big blockbusters. And, despite the consistent box office success of the MCU, it's entirely possible that Avatar 2 will be Disney's highest-grossing movie of 2022.
Avatar already has some experience in vying with Marvel: after Avengers: Endgame toppled the sci-fi epic to become the highest-grossing movie of all time, Avatar made a comeback in March 2021 after a Chinese re-release to reclaim the top spot. With Avatar still being the world's high-grossing film, anticipation for Avatar 2 is already high - and that's before Disney has even started with the film's marketing push. As evidenced with Spider-Man: No Way Home's box office success, Disney has come a long way in regard to marketing their movies, and they'll likely use fans' anticipation for Avatar 2 to their advantage.
Another factor that contributes to Avatar 2's potential success is its place in the ideal December release window. Its place in the coveted release spot, combined with James Cameron's stellar box office reputation and Avatar's status as the highest-grossing film of all time, will likely translate to major box office success for Disney - after all, Cameron has already had 2 films become the highest-grossing of all time; first in 1997 with Titantic, and again with Avatar. And, as 2022's MCU movies are likely to be Avatar 2's biggest competitors, it's ultimately in Disney's best interest to ensure that the releases don't overlap, meaning that Avatar 2 will most likely dominate the lucrative end-of-year box office.
Whether Avatar 2 becomes 2022's highest-grossing movie or not remains to be seen. However, when weighed against its biggest competitors in the MCU releases, Avatar is far more hotly anticipated. While the steady stream of Marvel content is great for fans, the years of anticipation for an Avatar sequel should prove a massive box office draw. It's probably not entirely surprising, as Disney now owns several major studios and some of the biggest franchises in entertainment, but Avatar 2 may just come out ahead of Marvel in 2022.