The Anthony and Joe Russo-directed blockbuster, Avengers: Infinity War, is tracking towards an unprecedented box office haul, which will be set in motion by an equally unprecedented domestic opening.
$248 million. That’s the sum standing between Infinity War and history. Beating the record number, set by J.J. Abrams’ 2015 space epic, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, won’t be a cakewalk, but the third Avengers installment might just make it look like one.
That’s right, in news that surprises nobody, Fandango is reporting that over 1,000 Infinity War screenings are now sold out. The ticketing company reported late last week that the demand for Marvel Studios’ culmination of a ten-year effort to bring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together on the big screen is so high that theater owners are perpetually adding new showtimes, including a 3:05 am showing in New York this coming Friday.
With eighteen consecutive openings atop the box office and nearly $15 billion grossed worldwide, daunting figures are nothing new to the MCU. Still, the fact that Infinity War ticket sales are outpacing the previous seven Marvel Studios films, combined, is utterly ludicrous.
Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, explained why the upcoming event movie is a blockbuster the likes of which we’ve never seen before, saying:
“This is Marvel’s pièce de résistance. It’s the payoff to ten years of world-building and character development that have helped change pop culture. The entire concept of a sprawling, multi-franchise universe on this scale is something audiences had never seen before, and that creates a must-see event aura.”
Last week, Fandango also confirmed that Avengers: Infinity War is selling twice as many tickets as Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther did at the same point in the sales cycle. Making the likelihood that Anthony and Joe Russo’s third entry into the MCU will shatter box office predictions almost a foregone conclusion. The only question now, is, have you gotten your tickets to witness Thanos’ arrival yet?