The entertainment press needs to learn how to adjust box office numbers for inflation.

https://screenrant.com/barbie-movie-box-office-domestic-record-avengers-comparison/

My working theory for why this never happens is:

1. most people in the press and virtually everyone in the entertainment business is economically illiterate; and

2. it obviously benefits studios for headlines to say "X film JUST BROKE A WORLD RECORD!" even though they're comparing apples to oranges.

Anyway... The Avengers came out (and did most of its box office) in 2012.

Adjusted for inflation, it made $2.06B, which means Barbie still has a ways to go to get there.