As the box office battle of 2026 continues with the dominance of the usual franchise giants and the arrival of shocking surprises from the indie underworld, one of the strongest players has landed yet another blow. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the first film in 2026 to gross $1 billion, keeps crushing, well, everything, and it has now outgrossed the best superhero movie ever made. Christopher Nolan, we’re sorry, but your caped crusader has been defeated by the super-plumbers.
After the disastrous 1993 adaptation, studios avoided reviving the video game characters for years. But after years of waiting, in the mid-2010s, rumors started that Nintendo was seeking a collaboration with Universal and Illumination for an animated version that could fix the problems of the first adaptation.
Teen Titans Go! creators Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic got their shot at bringing Mario to life again, and the result was 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie – a wildly popular adaptation that hit all the right marks and eventually became the hit everyone hoped for. A sequel was almost inevitable by the standards of modern franchise dynamics. And it’s a sequel that has now equaled the billion-dollar success of its predecessor.
Not Even Christopher Nolan Is a Match for Mario
Nolan’s seminal action sequel, The Dark Knight, is largely considered the best superhero movie of all time. In its first weekend, it earned $158.4 million in ticket sales, and kept smashing record after record at the international box office. By the end of its theatrical run, it had grossed more than $1 billion (exactly $1.003 billion) worldwide, ultimately becoming the first superhero film to break that barrier.
But the 2008 sequel to Nolan’s Batman trilogy has taken a hit from 2026’s animated giant, itself a highly successful sequel. Per Box Office Mojo, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has reached $1.007 billion at the box office worldwide, and remains the year’s highest-grossing movie – a record that releases like Toy Story 5 and Avengers: Doomsday will try to break in the upcoming months.
There’s No End to the Power of the Nintendo Franchise
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie delivered a notable follow-up in the spirit of video game sequels. It brought back the gang, introduced new characters, and presented a storyline that cleverly drew inspiration from some of the most celebrated entries in the video game series. It was exactly what fans needed from a sequel, and they showed their appreciation by flocking to theaters. The film is the strongest confirmation that there’s no end to what Nintendo can achieve if paired with the right big-screen creatives.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is currently available to stream digitally on platforms like Apple TV and Prime Video. It is only available for rent or purchase, as it hasn’t arrived on subscription-based streamers. Considering it is a Universal Pictures film, there’s a high chance that it’ll stream soon for Peacock subscribers. However, because it’s still in theaters internationally, its streaming release will likely be delayed until late summer. No doubt it’ll dominate streaming when it does make that leap.
Release Date
April 1, 2026
Runtime
98 Minutes
Director
Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc, Fabien Polack
Writers
Matthew Fogel
Producers
Chris Meledandri, Shigeru Miyamoto
Release Date
July 16, 2008
Runtime
152 minutes