This is it, folks! After years of waiting and just a few days after critics, celebrities and other lucky individuals were able to see it, Avengers: Infinity War is finally opening in theaters tonight. Not only is this the biggest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to date, it will also go down in film history as one of the biggest blockbusters ever, so obviously a lot of people will be coming in droves to see it. This was immediately clear in the first 24 hours that advanced tickets for Infinity War went on sale, as the movie quickly became the best pre-selling superhero movie of all time, toppling Black Panther from the #1 spot. However, despite its impressive pre-sales performance, Infinity War still wasn't able to outperform the two most recent entries in the main Star Wars saga.
Fandango announced today that Avengers: Infinity War has officially surpassed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in advanced ticket sales, making it the third highest pre-seller in Fandango history. Now Infinity War only trails behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi at #2 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the coveted #1 spot. Evidently the MCU still hasn't reached a galaxy far, far away's level yet, but depending on the reception to Infinity War in the coming weeks, maybe this will result in even more people buying their tickets ahead of time for Avengers 4, and Marvel will finally obtain second or first place. Still, as far as Disney's concerned, this is a win-win, as the company owns both the Marvel and Star Wars properties.
If you plan on seeing Avengers: Infinity War this weekend, count on experiencing it in a packed theater. More than 2,000 showtimes have been sold out on Fandango, with theaters adding even more showings to accommodate fan demand. Just two weeks ago, Infinity War also accomplished the incredible feat of selling more advanced tickets than the previous seven MCU movies combined. As for the movie's overall commercial performance, it's predicted that it could draw in as much as $200 million opening weekend. Needless to say it will be interesting to see what number Infinity War reaches at the end of its theatrical run.
Having loomed in the shadows since 2012's The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War will see Thanos finally stepping into the spotlight and hunting down all six Infinity Stones with the help of The Black Order and his Outrider army. With half of all life in the universe hanging in the balance, the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and other select superheroes will join forces to stop the Mad Titan, but with Avengers 4 arriving a year from now and said to be just as massive as Infinity War (if not more so), who knows if they'll be successful.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for continuing Avengers: Infinity War coverage, and don't forget to read our review of the movie. If you're interested in what MCU projects are on the horizon, look through our handy guide, and you can head over to out 2018 release schedule to learn what non-Marvel movies are coming out this year.
