IRON MAN 3 is Projecting to be Marvel Studios' Next Billion Dollar Blockbuster After This Weekend's International Haul

Box office records beware. After its first weekend of International openings, Marvel Studios (and Disney) are looking to have their second $1 billion hit in a row, with Iron Man 3.

Iron Man 3 overseas ticket sales  have raked in over $195 million, beating the $185 million International opening of The Avengers. You heard that right, Iron Man 3 just had a bigger International opening than The Avengers. Hence being Marvel's next $1 billion blockbuster.

This weekend Iron Man 3 is set to open domestically and projected numbers are in the ballpark of the $150 to $175 million range but that could be low-balling the threequel's actual domestic weekend opening in the states. The Avengers has the domestic opening box office record with $207 million. Maybe Iron Man 3 falls short, maybe not, but if the International opening numbers are any clue to its performance then The Avengers' domestic weekend opening record could be in jeopardy.

It's safe to speculate that The Avengers took Marvel Studios to the next level in the movie industry and until its ensemble movie, it had yet to achieve a $1 billion worldwide hit. The first Iron Man took in $585 million worldwide, Iron Man 2 nabbed $623 million, The Incredible Hulk made $263 million, Thor grabbed $449 million and Captain America: The First Avenger took in $368 million. Of course The Avengers is their first with over $1.5 billion worldwide.

Not a bad tally for their stable of films, overall, but two things are clear based on all these numbers and Iron Man 3's projection: 1.) The power of Disney definitely showed up with The Avengers, and now Iron Man 3,  when they were able to take over full control of Marvel Studios' movies and without other studios still fulfilling pre-Disney buyout agreements. 2.) The Avengers was the turning point of Marvel becoming a full-blown billion dollar per movie studio.

See it once, see it twice, but definitely see Iron Man 3.

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