The 10 most successful movie franchises of all time, ranked

• Franchises have been the backbone of Hollywood for decades.
• The highest-grossing franchise in movie history is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• It has made more than $31 billion at the box office since 2008.

It’s hard to imagine what the movies would look like without sequels, spin-offs, and connected universes taking over the box office every weekend.

The top 10 movie franchises at the global box office have each grossed at least $5 billion. They range from ’60s and ’70s series like James Bond and the “Star Wars” movies to more contemporary releases like “The Fast and the Furious” and “Harry Potter.”

Business Insider used data from Box Office Mojo and The Numbers to identify the highest-grossing film franchises of all time.

Here’s how each of your favorite movie universes compare, including their number of films and their top-performing release.