NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>Avengers: Endgame has made box office history by surpassing $1 billion US globally at the box office during its opening weekend. That's in a span of merely five days. The final film in the blockbuster franchise, which sees superheroes such as Captain America, Iron Man and Thor reunite for one last battle to save the universe together, has reached an estimated $1.2 billion worldwide so far. "We're just blown away by the support of the fans who want to see it so quickly, so early," said Greg Mason, Disney Canada's vice-president of marketing. Tony Stark/Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr., is among the many recognizable superhero characters to battle it out in the final instalment of the Avengers franchise. (Marvel Studios) Mason said the massive numbers could be in part due to fans not wanting the film ruined by spoilers that appear so quickly on social media and in movie reviews. "So many people had so much invested in these characters. Each one of them has a special journey in this one," said Mason. The film had a reported budget of $400 million, though Disney Canada would not confirm the figure. Black Widow, The Eternals scheduled for 2020 It beat out its predecessor, Avengers: Infinity War, which took 11 days to reach the billion dollar mark. Infinity War also previously held the record in Canada for biggest opening weekend, which Endgame has now eclipsed. Avengers: Endgame also nabbed the same record in China, an unpredictable and hungry market Hollywood is desperately trying to win over. Spider-Man: Far from Home is the next big superhero release scheduled for later this summer. Both Black Widow and The Eternals are slated for next year. According to Mason, one will come out in May 2020 and the other in November, but which one will take which spot is uncertain. Black Widow, seen here in a scene from Avengers: Endgame and played by Scarlett Johansson, will have a solo film slated for a 2020 release. (Marvel Studios) Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is also on the horizon, with James Gunn again at the helm following his controversial firing and then re-hiring. Marvel's production executive, Victoria Alonso, says the studio has "so much to share" but she could not give details about upcoming projects. Watch: Marvel's Victoria Alonso on what's ahead in the Marvel universe Marvel exec talks continuity CBC News 1:50 Marvel executive vice-president of production Victoria Alonso talks about how important it is to keep continuity when it comes to the characters across films and what’s coming up after Avengers: Endgame. 1:50 'We need to do better' Asked about diversity in the Marvel universe, she answered carefully. Alonso admitted there's a "deficit" of "some kinds of characters" and that calls for change are forcing decision-makers to evaluate future roles. I can only tell you that in the future, we will be having many conversations about how inclusive our universe is." - Victoria Alonso, Marvel Studios executive "I think that we need to do better," she said. "Hopefully we will and we are determined. We are invested. And I can only tell you that in the future we will be having many conversations about how inclusive our universe is." Mason says "what lies ahead is incredibly exciting" as the bar for success continues to get higher. As the culmination of 22 films, Avengers: Endgame — not surprisingly — faced major expectations to deliver. "So many films have struggled wrapping up," he said. "This is such a wonderful lesson."<doc-sep>Avengers: Endgame was already looking to break records with its opening weekend, but now that China is joining the weekend fun, Avengers 4 could be flirting with close to $1 billion worldwide after its opening weekend. Do you think it has a shot of beating Avatar as the highest-grossing movie of all time (albeit not adjusted for inflation)? I say yes. The stakes aren't exactly Decimation-level if we're wrong, so why not guess away?<doc-sep>
'Avengers: Endgame' tickets went for sale online on April 2 on Fandango, and dang! did it sell? In less than half a day, Fandango announced that the flick's ticket sales had broken the record set previously by 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' for most pre-sales in the first 24 hours. 'Endgame' sold more tickets in eight hours than the previous record-holder sold in a full day. At this stage, it is safe to say that the movie has already started raking in the moolah. According to comicbook.com, the movie is already slated to open with $350 million on its first day, which could probably be the minimum, given the way the ticket sales have unfolded. Furthermore, no movie has crossed a billion dollars on its opening weekend. Avengers: Endgame could be well on its way to make much more than what Infinity War raked in on its opening weekend (Source: Marvel) Should 'Endgame' touch the billion dollars mark, it would mean a 56 % increase over the weekend haul of 'Avengers: Infinity War,' which made $640.5 million. And if this is how the numbers stack up, it'd mean that the final movie of MCU's phase three would easily touch the billion dollar mark, adding much sparkle to the most awaited and anticipated blockbuster of 2019. According to a previous report by Comicbook, 'Endgame' is projected for a mammoth $840 million worldwide in its first few days, keeping into account the early opening in China on April 24. The fact that it gets a two-day early start in China may also see a surge in the expected numbers. If this were to come through, then 'Endgame' could come close to the $2.7b that 'Avatar' made worldwide over its whole run. 'Avengers: Endgame' releases on April 26 and will mark the end of the Infinity Saga.