Hey, it’s me, your friendly, constant reminder that the decade is ending and you are much older than you were at the start of it. You’re welcome!

It’s been a wild decade that I cannot begin to sum up in a crisp 500 words. Instead, I’ve made a list of the biggest domestic blockbusters of the 2010s. This list is purely based on numbers (thanks, Box Office Mojo), and no feelings are involved; although, yes, I have watched most of these films on repeat.

Disney bought the rights to Marvel in 2009, helping it shape the decade with a vast number of Avengers films. This March, the company took over 20th Century Fox, deftly securing every movie on this list except Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Check out the full list below!

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2019: Avengers: Endgame

This one should be the freshest in your memory, and you’re probably still getting over it so I won’t dwell. The Avengers faced their last battle as a team, trying to defeat Thanos in an epic battle that felt like it built up over a lifetime.

Where to find it: Disney+


2018: Black Panther

Chadwick Boseman killed it as the king of Wakanda. The film represented people of color and women magnificently. It didn’t depend on old tropes, but instead created something that people will still be calling legendary 10 years from now. It builds onto the greater trend of the decade in which representation of all people became increasingly important.

Where to find it: Netflix


2017: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi

The Force Awakens may have started the most recent Star Wars trilogy in 2015, but The Last Jedi was the only one to make this list. It received four Oscar nods for its incredible musical score and special effects. After passing away in late 2016, Carrie Fisher starred in it posthumously. The film was dedicated to her memory.

Where to find it: Netflix


2016: Finding Dory

Dory just kept swimming in the sequel that took 13 years to come ashore. Those who grew up on Finding Nemo found themselves crying in the theater again — only now as adults. Dory proved that some things are worth waiting for with this adorable sequel.

Where to find it: Disney+


2015: Jurassic World

Continuing the remake trend, Jurassic World brought dinosaurs to the forefront one more time (and then again last year.) It offered a different view than Spielberg’s classic and had way better special effects thanks to being made in the 21st century. 

Where to find it: It’s not on any streaming websites, but it is available for purchase online!


2014: Guardians of the Galaxy

Chris Pratt’s muscles won the U.S. over two years in a row. In my own personal record book, it’s tied with Up for being the film to make me cry the quickest.

Where to find it: Disney+


2013: Iron Man 3 

Robert Downey Jr. makes the perfect superhero, and that’s all you really need to understand about his third standalone film.

Where to find it: Disney+


2012: The Avengers

Things were so simple in 2012, back when there were only six members of the elite superhero squad. It’s not fair to say this film started it all because there were several building up to it, but it can easily be defined as the movie of the decade. There is nothing more synonymous with the 2010s than Marvel. People of all ages bonded over the superheroes saving New York City — one comical line at a time. 

Where to find it: Prime Video, Disney+


2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

*cue people screaming “that was this decade?!”* 

Harry Potter departed from our lives just eight years ago — crazy, isn’t it? Judging by how many of us are still waiting on Hogwarts letters, it will be in our hearts for decades to come.

Where to find it: While it’s not currently available for streaming, rumors are rampant about all eight films coming to HBO Max when it launches this spring.


2010: Avatar

I watched Avatar on a 6-inch screen on my middle school trip to Washington, D.C., so my experience differs from the millions of people who visited theaters and contributed to it being the first blockbuster of the decade. It started the 2010s by becoming the highest-grossing film of all time and only just lost the title to Endgame in July.

Where to find it: Disney+

Photos: 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Warner Bros.

About the author

Nicole Savas

Nicole Savas

As a kid, Nicole either wanted to be a professional toy player-wither or a writer. Somehow, as social media editor for The Toy Insider, The Toy Book, and The Pop Insider, she’s found a career as both. She's grateful to work somewhere that she can fully embrace both her love of teddy bears and her admiration for the Oxford comma. When she's not playing with toys at work, she's playing with her baby girl at home.

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