James Cameron congratulates Marvel as ‘Avengers: Endgame' dethrones ‘Avatar'

James Cameron has turned a box-office rivalry into a moment of mutual respect.

The Canadian filmmaker and explorer congratulated Marvel after Avengers: Endgame reclaimed its title as the highest-grossing film of all time from Avatar.

On Friday, October 16, the Avatar filmmaker shared a special crossover artwork on Instagram showing Iron Man surrounded by the Na’vi of Pandora.

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“YOU ARE ONE OF PEOPLE,” the text overlaid carries Cameron’s message congratulating Marvel and Avengers: Endgame: Encore for bringing moviegoers back to cinemas.

“CONGRATULATIONS TO MARVEL AND THE #1 AVENGERS: ENDGAME: ENCORE FOR BRINGING MOVIEGOERS TO THE CINEMAS! - JIM CAMERON,” the message read.

The gesture followed Avengers: Endgame’s return to the top of the worldwide box-office rankings after its theatrical re-release, Endgame: Encore, pushed its lifetime earnings past those of Cameron’s 2009 science-fiction blockbuster.

According to Disney, Endgame had earned an estimated $2.9255 billion worldwide, narrowly ahead of Avatar’s $2.9237 billion as of October 2026.

The artwork features Iron Man in his red-and-gold armour, surrounded by the towering blue Na’vi, including figures resembling Jake Sully and Neytiri.

Rather than depicting a battle between two hugely successful franchises, the image shows the Na’vi reaching out to Iron Man, appeared to be praising him. 

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