‘Oppenheimer’ surpasses Marvel blockbuster to set new box office milestone

Oppenheimer has surpassed a Marvel blockbuster to become the third highest-grossing film of 2023.

• READ MORE: ‘Oppenheimer’ review: Christopher Nolan’s mind-blowing biopic hits like a bomb to the brain

Christopher Nolan‘s historical drama — which sees Cillian Murphy star as Robert J. Oppenheimer, the real-life American physicist who played a pivotal role in the creation of the atomic bomb — has become one of the director’s most successful films to date.

Oppenheimer has already set record for the most successful WWII-related film of all time, but with ticket sales continuing to soar, it’s now set another impressive milestone.

As revealed by Box Office Mojo, Oppenheimer has surpassed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to become the third highest-grossing movie at the 2023 global box office.

At the time of writing (September 7), the film has grossed $854,078,950 worldwide, surpassing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s $845,536,306.

It also remains the third-highest-grossing release of the year behind Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which have both brought in over $1.35billion.

Other accolades include overtaking John Wick Chapter 4 as the biggest R-rated film of 2023, becoming Universal’s highest-grossing R-rated movie, and surpassing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Fast X with its ticket sales.

Oppenheimer is officially Nolan’s third-biggest film from across his career, and has overtaken his hit 2010 film, Inception – which grossed $837million. At time of writing, the only films by the director to remain more successful are The Dark Knight ($1billion) and its follow-up, The Dark Knight Rises ($1.08billion).

In a five-star review of the film, NME wrote: “Not just the definitive account of the man behind the atom bomb, Oppenheimer is a monumental achievement in grown-up filmmaking.

“For years, Nolan has been perfecting the art of the serious blockbuster – crafting smart, finely-tuned multiplex epics that demand attention; that can’t be watched anywhere other than in a cinema, uninterrupted, without distractions. But this, somehow, feels bigger.”