Avengers: Endgame smashes global box-office record at $1.2 billion

Fans around the globe packed movie theaters for the debut of Avengers: Endgame over the weekend, pushing total ticket sales for the Walt Disney superhero spectacle to a stunning $1.2 billion and crushing records in dozens of countries.

Endgame generated an unprecedented $350 million in the US and Canada from Thursday night through Sunday, according to Disney estimates. The three-hour action spectacle that revealed the fates of Iron Man, Thor and other popular comic-book heroes also made history in China, Brazil, France, Egypt, South Africa and 38 other markets. In China, the world's second-largest movie market, Endgame collected $330.5 million since its debut.
 

The historic weekend helps put Disney on course for what analysts say looks like an unparalleled year. The company is set to release The Lion King, Toy Story 4 and several other potential blockbusters in the coming months.
 

Endgame is unique because it is the culmination of a story told in 22 Marvel Studios films that have drawn crowds to cinemas for a decade.
 

Just days ago, the industry was divided on whether Endgame had a shot at hitting $300 million in the domestic market. The movie blew past that level and landed far above the previous record of $257.7 million set a year ago by Avengers: Infinity War.