Barring an eleventh hour performance that takes a Christmas season movie to half a billion dollars, it appears Marvel Studios will wrap 2014 as the undisputed box office champ.

Over Labor Day weekend, box office analysis confirmed that "Guardians of the Galaxy" will be the #1 movie of the year. The film earned $20.5 million domestically this weekend, which made it the #1 movie of the holiday and raise its overall take to $278.8 million, according to Variety. That number takes it past strong performances for the summer's other two big action epics: Marvel's other major draw in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and Michael Bay's latest with "Transformers: Age of Extinction." So far, "Guardians" has made over $500 million globally.

Of course, even those numbers could not entirely rehabilitate a sagging holiday weekend or a generally flat summer. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the overall $4 billion performance form this summer's movies will mark an eight-year low at the box office with revenue down 15 percent from summer 2013.

Elsewhere in theaters, numbers were similarly weak. New releases "As Above, So Below" and Pierce Brosnan's "The November Man" are expected to bring in $11.3 and $9.8 million respectively. While that will count as a victory for Legendary's lower budget horror movie "As Above," the spy vehicle for former James Bond Brosnan is falling far short of its $20 million budget.

Rounding out the box office on the holiday weekend will be "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and near-death YA drama "If I Stay," both of which should land in the top three over the weekend's new releases.

Stay tuned to CBR News for more on the summer anemic box office and future plans for franchises from Marvel and beyond.