Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War is the biggest movie that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever seen. With such scale and scope behind its story, it only makes sense for the film to achieve a historic opening. Having said that, it sounds like the culmination of the Infinity Stone story arc is even bigger than some had initially assumed, as the film has now surpassed box office estimates. We already knew it had secured the biggest opening of all time, but it's done even better than the initial numbers expected.
Something tells us that the folks at Disney and Marvel Studios are going to pop some champagne today because Avengers: Infinity War went all the way over the weekend. According to the numbers from Box Office Mojo, the latest MCU blockbuster has officially gone on to earn $258 million in its opening weekend. Expectations for Infinity War's performance were already sky-high, but that number is actually higher than the $250 million estimate from yesterday. With those numbers locked in place, Avengers: Infinity War has officially experienced the best opening weekend of all time -- overtaking the blockbuster debuts of movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Jurassic World in the process.
An easy way to put this box office figure into perspective is to compare it to another recent superhero outing. Specifically, Avengers: Infinity War has handily overtaken Justice League, grossing more at the domestic box office in one weekend than the first-ever DCEU team-up film grossed in its entire domestic box office run. As of right now, Avengers: Infinity War is sitting with $641 million globally (with more international premieres in places like China still to come), and it's in a position to keep toppling records as it continues its rollout.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons as to why Avengers: Infinity War has experienced such a strong opening weekend. As the culmination of a ten-year story, there was already quite a bit of anticipation to see what would happen when Thanos showed up on Earth. Moreover, the film's marketing (not to mention comments made by Marvel insiders) promised a story full of shocking moments, so it's reasonable to assume that fans came out in full force so that they could make sure they were part of the first wave of viewers to see the movie, unspoiled. Remember, Thanos demands your silence.
With that in mind, Avengers: Infinity War is now in theaters, so make sure to check it out. Moreover, if you want information about the monumental blockbuster event, then you can check out our in-depth review of the film, our critical review roundup, and our handy To 3D guide to find out which ticket you should buy. Finally (and if I may borrow a line from DC), the ride ain't over yet, because Avengers 4 will debut next year on May 3l, 2019.
