For decades now, superhero fans have been debating which heroes are the best and whether DC or Marvel is better. While many of these conversations are subjective and impossible to prove one way or another, some factors can be definitively measured. As such, Guinness World Records has chronicled records in a number of different categories related to superhero movies and television.
While some of the final numbers have changed since Guinness last updated its records, the titles and figures provide fans with interesting facts and statistics about the accomplishments of their favorite movies and characters.
Highest-Grossing Female Superhero Movie: Captain Marvel
According to Guinness, 2019's Captain Marvel is the highest-grossing female superhero movie of all time. The film amassed a box office total of $1,129,727,388, surpassing the $818,058,221 earned by Wonder Woman in 2017 to claim the title.
The character made a strong debut in her first solo outing, dominating the box office and introducing audiences to one of the strongest members of the Avengers. With the recent release of films such as Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and Black Widow, female-led superhero movies have seen more success lately than ever before.
Highest-Grossing Superhero "Origin" Movie: Black Panther
After first appearing in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa received his own movie, Black Panther, in 2018 and introduced audiences to the nation of Wakanda. The film was an undeniable success that garnered commercial and critical acclaim, earning a best picture Oscar nomination and raking in $1,336,494,321 at the box office.
This box office total was enough to nab the title of highest-grossing superhero "origin" movie according to Guinness. While the movie does not necessarily cover the origin of how T'Challa initially became the Black Panther, it is the character's first solo film and does show T'Challa becoming the king and leader of Wakanda after his father's death.
Most Cinema Productions Attended Of The Same Film: Avengers: Endgame
While many fans enjoyed Avengers: Endgame as the culmination of the MCU, no one was as dedicated to their fandom as a man in Florida who saw the film a whopping 191 times in theaters, en route to setting the Guinness world record for the most cinematic productions attended of the same film.
While watching any film that many times is impressive, Endgame's extensive runtime makes the record that much more incredible as Endgame holds the record for longest running time for a theatrical cut of a superhero movie at 181 minutes. This means that the man spent 34,571 minutes or 24 full days in the theater watching Endgame.
Longest Career As A Live-Action Marvel Superhero: Hugh Jackman And Patrick Stewart
Long before the launch of the MCU in 2008, Marvel found success with a number of its properties, including the X-Men. This success was due in part to some inspired casting including Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Professor X.
The two actors were staples of the franchise from the first X-Men movie in 2000 all the way through 2017's Logan, with Wolverine appearing in nine films over that period. This extensive run earned the actors the world record for the longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero at 16 years and 232 days. Given the relationship between the two characters, it is only fitting that Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart share the record together.
First Superhero Movie: The Adventures Of Captain Marvel
While superhero movies have surged in popularity, they have been around for longer than some fans realize. There can be some debate about which movie technically counts as the first superhero movie, depending on how the term superhero is being defined.
However, Guinness officially recognizes The Adventures of Captain Marvel as the first superhero movie. Starring the DC character now known as Shazam, the movie was released in 1941 as a 12-chapter movie serial. Nearly 70 years before Zachary Levi took over the role, Shazam kicked off the superhero movie genre.
Most Popular Superhero On Television: The Flash
While superhero movies have been dominating the box office for some time now, there has also been a surge in popularity for superhero television shows with networks such as the CW, HBO Max, and Disney+ providing viewers with a number of options.
Using data from Parrot Analytics, Guinness determined that The Flash is the most popular superhero on television with 3.1 million demand expressions per day in 2016. With likable characters, engaging storytelling, and connections to the larger Arrowverse, it is no surprise that The Flash gained such a strong following.
Highest-Grossing Movie Superhero: Batman
Few comic book characters have as storied a history as Batman. The Caped Crusader is a fan favorite who has made countless memorable appearances across mediums since his debut in 1939, including starring in many successful films throughout the years.
Fueled in large part by the tremendous success of the Dark Knight trilogy, Guinness recognizes Batman as the highest-grossing movie superhero ever with a box total of $4,573,270,937. Spider-Man is a close second and could possibly surpass Batman the next time the records are updated.
Most Successful Superhero Actor: Robert Downey Jr.
Since Iron Man was released in 2008, Robert Downey Jr. has been one of the faces of the MCU and the superhero genre in general, with his portrayal of Tony Stark launching the character to immense levels of popularity. Funny, witty, and likable, he made Tony Stark the best character in a trilogy of films.
Robert Downey Jr.'s nine MCU appearances, not including a cameo in The Incredible Hulk, have proven to be financially lucrative, leading Guinness to recognize him as the most successful superhero actor of all time. Guinness lists his box office total as $7.3 billion, a figure which has not yet been updated to include the grosses from Infinity War or Endgame.
Most Portrayed Superhero On Television: Superman
As the superhero genre's history continues to expand, it is common to see multiple versions of characters played by different actors across various continuities and reboots. Fans have come to expect to see the A-list characters such as Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man, prior to his inclusion in the MCU, rebooted every couple of years.
It is no surprise then that Guinness recognizes Superman as the most portrayed superhero on television, having been played by six different actors starting with George Reeves in 1952 and most recently including Tyler Hoechlin.
Highest Death Toll In A Superhero Movie: Guardians Of The Galaxy
As superhero films continue to grow in scale and increase the stakes, some superhero movies have depicted massive battles that result in high death tolls. The Guinness world record holder for the highest death toll in a superhero movie is Guardians of the Galaxy with 83,871 onscreen deaths.
That number may be surprising to some given the lighter tone of the movie, but the Nova Corps suffers many casualties in the battle on Xandar. The record only accounts for onscreen deaths, meaning that other films may contain more loss of life within the story but are not actually depicted onscreen.