Market share of film studios in the U.S. & Canada 2010-2021

In 2021, Disney alone accounted for over one-fourth (25.5 percent) of the box office revenue in the United States and Canada, thanks to blockbusters such as "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," Black Widow," and "Eternals." Sony/Columbia – responsible for hits like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" – ranked second in box office market share at 23.1 percent. United Artists/MGM, run by Amazon, held a share of approximately seven percent that year.

Disney's superpowers

The company's performance at the so-called North American box office led to yet another outstanding placement in the U.S.'s mediascape. In 2021, Disney's box office market share once again stood above 25 percent, a milestone the studio has been achieving every other year since the second half of the 2010s. But an overreliance on superhero stories – noticeable since Disney acquired Marvel in 2009 – may have its days counted. The share of moviegoers in the U.S. saying they were getting tired of so many superhero movies grew by six percentage points between mid-2018 and the end of 2021.

Who has the range?

Diversity in film genres seems to also be important to attract newer audiences. During a mid-2021 survey, over a third of responding Gen Zers said their main motivation for attending movie theaters was a variety of movie offerings. This segment is key for the cinema industry. Historically, the 12-17 age group has been recording the highest average of movies seen per capita in a theater in the U.S. In 2021, the figure stood at 2.5. Among people aged 50 and above, the average stood below one.