'Avengers: Endgame' Box Office On Track To Beat 'Infinity War' Weekend Record

Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of 10 years and 21 movies. It's the follow-up to one of the most devastating cliffhanger endings in a comic book movie. Of course it will get butts in theaters. But the Avengers: Endgame box office tracking suggests that it may do more than that. Industry insiders estimate that the film is on track to beat the opening weekend box office record — a record set by Avengers: Infinity War just last year.Avengers: Endgame is on track to break the opening weekend box office records set by Infinity War's $258 million record last year. Collider reports that Researcher Exhibitor Relations estimates that Avengers: Endgame could take in approximately $282 million during its opening weekend.

We're still two months out from the film's theatrical release so the numbers could invariably change, but based on the performance of superhero sequels in the past, it's no surprise that Endgame is set to top the numbers set by Infinity War. Plus, we all need to know what happened after The Snap.

However, Researcher Exhibitor Relations senior analyst Jeff Block noted that the opening weekend tally could be affected by the film's potential three-hour runtime. Marvel has yet to confirm the Avengers: Endgame runtime, but directors Joe and Anthony Russo recently revealed that the film still sits at the "three-hour mark," and could stay that way. That would make the longest movie in Marvel Cinematic Universe history — again beating Infinity War's record of two hours and 40 minutes. However, that three-hour runtime could limit the number of screenings per theater every day.

It still looks like Disney and Marvel have another big hit on their hands. But could Endgame become one of the biggest hits of the year, nay, all time? Currently, Disney holds nine of the 10 biggest domestic opening weekends of all time – the exception being Jurassic World at number four. The only wild card is the upcoming Captain Marvel, which is set to hit theaters next week and introduce the MCU's first solo female superhero, played by Brie Larson. Captain Marvel is currently tracking for a more modest (comparatively) $100 million opening, but perhaps it could pull a Black Panther and become a hit with an even longer impact than Endgame. Black Panther took the number one domestic box office spot for 2018, beating out Infinity War, proving that Marvel's solo titles still have a hold over general audiences. But whatever the case, it's going to be a good year at the box office for Disney and Marvel.

Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26, 2019.