The Avengers: Endgame debut weekend is off to a smashing start. The latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe now has the record for highest opening day at the box office with $156.7 million domestically. This easily beats the $119.1 million record set by 2015’s The Force Awakens by more than $38 million and Infinity War‘s $106.3 million opening day last year. It appears the talks of superhero fatigue have been greatly exaggerated, at least for the most recent offerings from the MCU and DC universe.
Infinity War currently holds the record for largest debut weekend with $257.7 million, but it looks like Avengers: Endgame is going to have no problems decimating that record. Some very conservative estimates have Endgame on track to bring in anywhere from $310 million to $340 million for the weekend, which means it’s going to steal the largest debut weekend record without any real problems. However, things get even crazier when looking at the worldwide box office totals.
Avengers: Endgame has now broken the record for international opening with $487 million, which easily beats the previous $443 million held by the Fate of the Furious. China was a big boost to the international box office, bringing in $107 million in a single day. Now, internationally, Endgame sits on a massive $487 million haul and the weekend isn’t over yet. All of this put together makes for $643.7 million globally and inches closer to a $1 billion opening weekend, which would be pretty crazy. A $1 billion opening is unprecedented and well within the MCU’s grasp at this point in time. Estimates place the movie at over $700 million overseas and an additional $310+ for the North American box office on the way.
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MCU fans have been avoiding spoilers on their way to theaters, which means they have been trying to see Avengers: Endgame on the big screen as quickly as they can. Theaters have been hosting all-day events to ensure that all fans are able to see the movie as soon as possible and there are already fans who have decided they will need to see it again to make sure they got everything from the three-hour and 58-second movie. Adding to the hype has been an A+ grade from CinemaScore and a current 96% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Russo Brothers knew they had something special when they finished the final cut of Avengers: Endgame. Even with the long running time, which was initially reported as a possible box office setback, the directing duo threw in everything except the kitchen sink and the movie is packed dense with references to the past eleven years-worth of storytelling. There have been some gripes and negative reviews, but that is to be expected for any movie. For now, Marvel Studios is riding a wave, which could earn them the unprecedented $1 billion smash opening. You can check out the details of Endgame‘s numbers over at Box Office Mojo.
