Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Aladdin, Toy Story 4 — Hollywood's box office winners of 2019 so far

(We’re halfway through 2019, so what better time to take stock of what this year brought to us in terms of entertainment and pop culture? Firstpost is rounding up the best films, web series, songs and albums so far, and also looking at what else is in store for the rest of the year.)   This year, Hollywood has pushed out mammoth juggernauts, which created box-office legends. Ticket sales were at an all-time high as millions flooded to theatres to experience cinematic ‘marvels’. A prime reason behind the inexplicably high numbers may be attributed to the fact that the films released were much-anticipated in advance, and were thus heavily publicised and promoted, case in point — Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home . 2019 is further proof that superhero films are here to stay. Here’s a look at what clicked at the global box office in 2019. Avengers: Endgame $2.78 billion (and counting) Marvel and Disney mounted Endgame with all the aplomb and pizazz that an MCU finale deserved. The 22nd addition to the vast Marvel Cinematic Universe, broke an array of box office records, which include all-time highest grossing domestic title ever, the highest-grossing film in the MCU franchise and highest opening day single grosser ever among many others. Thanos’ finger snap was undone literally and metaphorically when crowds thronged shows to witness the conquest of good over evil. [caption id=“attachment_6498261” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Avengers Endgame poster. Image from Facebook[/caption] (Also Read: Avengers: Endgame — The emotionally rewarding collective viewing experience that was the MCU finale ) Captain Marvel  $1.13 billion Brie Larson was the perfect fit to portray the powerful Captain Marvel, MCU’s most-prized possession. No-nonsense and quite frankly a b*d*ss in real life, Larson marched ahead with the film securely placed on her able shoulders. Fans revelled in Marvel’s attempt at bolstering women representation and empowerment in a universe often criticised for being too testosterone-injected. The film bravely combated severe online trolling even before it could hit screens, causing Rotten Tomatoes to change its policy on allowing pre-release audience reviews. (Also Read: Captain Marvel vs toxic fandom: Why Brie Larson's trail-blazing superhero will win the battle against sexist trolls ) [caption id=“attachment_5662171” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Captain Marvel had received negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes even before the film’s release. Twitter[/caption] The film was exemplary in its treatment of a female superhero with Larson prancing about in workout clothes, or a t-shirt and jeans when not obliterating evil from the face of the earth in her dapper suit, a phenomenon oddly absent from on-screen portrayals of most female superheroes (read Wonder Woman and Black Widow). Narrative-wise also, Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) got centre-stage, with other characters only acting as catalysts. Marvel continued celebrating Carol’s undisputed superiority over the Avengers with Endgame, which released shortly after Captain Marvel. Aladdin $923 million A new entrant into Disney’s spate of live-action remakes, Aladdin was touted as a failure before its release. Many presumed the middle-eastern fantasy drama, reportedly made at a large budget of $180 million, to be a dud. Will Smith’s portrayal of the Genie was also met with cynicism. [caption id=“attachment_6689151” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Mena Massoud in a still from Aladdin. YouTube[/caption] However, the film surpassed expectations by a huge margin and raked in big numbers at the box office. Aladdin topped the domestic box office with a four-day Memorial Day Weekend haul of over $100 million. 2019 Aladdin surpassed the original in terms of numbers, especially since the 1992 film was undoubtedly one of the crucial titles of the ‘90s Disney Renaissance, which saw the studio reborn as a critical and commercial success after a difficult decade where they came close to declaring bankruptcy. The Wandering Earth $699 million Touted as China’s first actual sci-fi blockbuster, Frant Gwo’s hugely profitable The Wandering Earth tells the story of a doomed earth in a future where the sun has become unstable. The film’s success was unprecedented, to say the least. An this  article, IndieWire tries to decode the phenomenon pointing out that producers might have played on the global audiences’ obsessive need for cinematic spectacles, still un-quenched by Endgame. [caption id=“attachment_6176691” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The Wandering Earth[/caption] Gwo’s efforts birthed a visually stunning film which drew strongly from James Cameron’s works. Though many reviewers critiqued the film for its overzealous use of already-seen-before cinematic tropes, The Wandering Earth managed to connect with audiences all across the world. Based on a short story by Liu Cixin, the film was soon released on Netflix’s streaming platform. Toy Story 4  $656 million Toy Story 4 was announced at a time when Pixar was undergoing an obvious rough patch. In 2017, Rashida Jones withdrew from the film with writing partner Will McCormack claiming that the production house did not give sufficient opportunities to women or people of colour. With Pixar chief John Lasseter ’s removal in 2018 on grounds of sexual harassment, things looked even bleaker. However, the film’s mega-success at the box office proved all nay-sayers wrong and quashed the popular movie-viewing myth — death by sequel. [caption id=“attachment_6852181” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Toy Story 4. Image from Twitter[/caption] 2019 has easily been the year for Disney, which has bagged the top four positions in the highest-grossing list. They were able to tap onto the pulse of millions while still trying to tell stories differently, with a conscious effort to endorse the underdog.