Top Gun: Maverick exceeded expectations by being the first 2022 release to reach $1 billion dollars at the worldwide box office, also becoming Tom Cruise's highest-grossing film of all time. The success of the sequel opens a window for more original blockbusters to be developed in the future and also incites other reboots and legacy sequels to think outside the box.

The recent pandemic period affected box office numbers drastically, but overall, the last few years offered lots of exciting releases that encouraged people to check them out in a movie theater. Reaching the $1 billion mark isn't easy, but these movies made it seem like it is.

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise Of Skywalker (2019) - $1.074 Billion

Star Wars Rise of Skywalker Sith Dagger

Apparently, everyone went to the movies to witness firsthand the contentious mess that many feel The Rise of Skywalker is. Almost unanimously considered the worst movie in the entire Star Wars franchise, Episode IX still had the potential to find its way to becoming one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time.

Related: 10 Questions Star Wars Fans Still Have About The Rise Of Skywalker

Even though The Rise of Skywalker has plenty of epic space battles and a unique set of characters, the conclusion to Rey's journey meets an anti-climatic fate that not even die-hard Star Wars fans appreciated.

Joker (2019) - $1.074 Billion

Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker

Joker created a lot of buzz back in 2019 by becoming the first R-rated movie to ever reach the $1 billion mark at the box office. Todd Philips' darker take on DC's popular Batman archenemy was acclaimed by both public audience and critics, earning 11 nominations at the Oscars - a surprising feat given the movie's violent and comic nature.

The psychological thriller follows a troubled Joaquin Phoenix as Joker as he descends into madness, giving life to the unpredictable Joker persona. Phoenix's Joker is much more grounded in reality and reflects some of the darker issues in American society.

Toy Story 4 (2019) - $1.073 Billion

Woody and Little Bo Beep in Toy Story 4

Both Toy Story 3 and 4 earned pretty much the same amount at the box office, reflecting the relevance of Pixar's most successful and innovative animated franchise. Following the events of the previous movie, Woody and his toy friends are in a new home, with a new kid, Bonnie. When a new peculiar plaything shows up, a road trip alongside old and new companions will show Woody a new perspective about the world, and where he stands in the middle of all this.

Different from the other three, the fourth Toy Story works similarly to a character study. Woody becomes a mentor rather than the hero of the story, helping toys along the way while also going through a heartfelt journey of self-discovery.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) - $1.123 Billion

Top Gun Maverick death star

Becoming Tom Cruise's highest-grossing film of all time, Top Gun: Maverick is as rewarding to the fans as it is for the cast. Possibly the biggest surprise of 2022 so far, this legacy sequel manages to evoke a nostalgic '80s aesthetic while addressing contemporary subjects in the field of military aviation.

Tom Cruise is back as Pete Maverick and must return to Top Gun to turn a stubborn set of talented pilots into a team, in a brilliant use of the hero-becoming-mentor trope. Preparing his pupils for a seemingly impossible mission, Maverick finds comfort in the past but must fight demons that never really got away. Top Gun: Maverick is a perfect cinematic experience, designed specifically for IMAX; it was a risky shot from Paramount, but it deservedly paid off at the box office.

Captain Marvel (2019) - $1.128 Billion

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel deviates in several ways from the MCU formula, which makes it one of the most divisive Marvel releases so far. Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers as she becomes the only hero capable to stop a catastrophic galactic war between two alien races. The movie marked the first MCU entry solely starred by a female lead, which caused a positive repercussion and led to successful numbers at the box office.

Captain Marvel is one of the most overpowered heroes from the Marvel Universe, thus it's understandable how difficult it is to create tension or present villains on the same level. Fans also complained about pacing issues due to part of the narrative taking place in the 90s, but ultimately the movie is a key part of the events that led up to Avengers: Endgame.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - $1.131 Billion

MJ kissing Spider-Man in Far From Home.

Spider-Man is Marvel's most popular hero because Peter Parker resonates a lot with the younger audiences and evokes nostalgic feelings from the older public. Tom Holland proved himself a good actor and up to the task of portraying such a painfully relatable character that must balance saving the world with the difficulties of high school and other teenage affairs.

Related: 10 Best Superhero Movies Of All Time According To Letterboxd

Far From Home continues to further develop the character and his interactions with his friends, in particular MJ. On a summer trip to Europe, Peter is drawn into a puzzling mystery of strange creatures causing natural disasters on the continent and must put on his mask to fight them while struggling to keep his identity hidden from his high-school colleagues.

Frozen II (2019) - $1.450 Billion

Elsa, Anna, Sven, Olaf, and Kristoff in the mysterious fog forrest

Expectations were high for the Frozen sequence as fans wondered whether or not Disney would do justice to the charismatic characters and catchy tunes from the first movie. Frozen II continued to change Disney's old formula and ended up being even more successful than the original, grossing over $100 million more at the box office.

In the film, fans follow Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf as they head deep into the forest to uncover the true nature of an ancient mystery about their kingdom, offering stunning visuals that go beyond the icy landscapes from the first movie. In Frozen II, the nature that surrounds the characters seems just as alive as them, and the film offers a hopeful message on the importance of preserving the environment and respecting Earth's roots.

The Lion King (2019) - $1.663 Billion

Mufasa and Simba in Lion King

Reviving the timeless 90s classic animation The Lion King, Jon Favreau carried on the idea of using groundbreaking technology to give life to the epic story. While the live-action movie seemed like a great idea, in theory, the movie doesn't satisfy every fan with anything outside the outstanding visuals.

Related: 10 Animated Movies That Would Be Better If They Were Live-Action

Younger audiences and die-hard Disney fans fell for it, but both critics and the overall public audience weren't as into it. Although the visual effects were compellingly conceived, the movie didn't manage to transmit accurate expressions to the characters, and expression is pretty much what makes the original animation so effective in storytelling.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) - $1.901 Billion

Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland, and Andrew Garfield in Spider Man: No Way Home.

No Way Home managed to gather $1 billion at the box office amid the difficult pandemic period, offering a welcoming escape from the harsh reality many found themselves in. Introducing the long-anticipated multiverse in the MCU, the third MCU Spider-Man movie featuring blends epic nostalgia with a deeply emotional development of Tom Holland's Peter Parker, dissecting the face behind the mask with a mixture of drama, action, and romance.

Bringing back iconic actors to revive their Spider-Man roles as well as the villains, the supporting characters often steal the show in No Way Home, but that doesn't make it any less compelling because the brilliant interaction between characters might as well be the biggest highlight of the incredible film.

Avengers: Endgame (2019) - $2.798 Billion

The Avengers go to space in Avengers Endgame

The second highest-grossing film of all time, only behind Avatar, gathered millions of people across the globe to witness the final payoff Marvel had been cooking up for decades. After the catastrophic events of Infinity War, the remaining Avengers assemble once more to put into practice a final risky plan to undo Thanos's actions, regardless of the devastating consequences that might arise if they fail.

Endgame is a superhero epic and has pretty much everything fans were expecting: heartbreaking sacrifices, groundbreaking visual effects, and unforgettable action sequences that leave fans on the edge of their seats. Concluding the arcs of the older Avengers and setting the stage for Marvel's upcoming phase, Avengers: Endgame was an event of massive proportions.

Next: The 10 Biggest Box-Office Flops Of 2022 So Far (Including Lightyear)