The race for the biggest movie ever has flipped again. Avengers: Endgame passed Avatar to become the highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, thanks to its Encore re-release.

The 2019 Marvel film earned another $18 million around the world over the weekend that ended Oct. 4, Media Play News reported. About $4.4 million came from U.S. theaters and $14.4 million from overseas, according to ComingSoon. That pushed Endgame's total to about $2.9255 billion. Avatar, from 2009, sits just behind at about $2.9237 billion. The numbers are not adjusted for inflation.

The gap is less than $2 million, which is tiny at this scale. Disney owns both films, so the company wins either way.

This is not the first time these two movies have traded places. Endgame first passed Avatar in 2019. Then a later Avatar re-release put James Cameron's film back on top, before Avatar: The Way of Water came out in 2022, ComingSoon noted. Now Endgame has the crown back.

The Encore version returned to theaters on Sept. 25. It includes extra footage tied to Avengers: Doomsday, the next big Marvel team-up, which opens Dec. 18. In its first weekend, the re-release made $86 million worldwide, ComingSoon said, and it has now passed $100 million in 10 days.

In the U.S., Endgame ranks third all-time with about $894.6 million, Media Play News said. Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are ahead of it.

For fans, the re-release has worked like a trailer you pay to see. The Russo brothers, who directed Endgame, are back to direct Doomsday, so strong ticket sales now may be a good sign for December.

What we know: Endgame is No. 1 worldwide by less than $2 million.
What we don't: How much more the Encore run will add before it leaves theaters.