Marvel’s most recent blockbuster “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” set a record as the biggest domestic April release ever. The Disney sequel, which came out in theaters April 4, debuted with $96.2 million.
Dave Hollis, head of worldwide theatrical distribution for Disney, said the films are straying away from summer release times.
“There was an opportunity. We have the second Marvel film coming at the end of the summer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ We wanted to start and end the summer and take advantage of this holiday. In the next month or so we'll have the benefit of spring break.”
“The Avengers effect,” as Hollis calls it, set the stage for the continuation of Marvel’s massive box office presence, which includes the “Iron Man” and “Thor” franchises. With the release of the films’ sequels, both have seen earning jumps of over 35 percent.
“There are very few movie brands that are this consistent,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, said of the Disney-Marvel team. “For ‘The Winter Soldier’ to push on $100 million in April shows that you can release a big movie any time of the year. Every studio is going to be looking at this date to plant their flag in the future.”
Next spring Marvel will release the sequel of “The Avengers,” film franchise. Director Joss Whedon will once again reassemble the cast in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” to take on another super villain.
The sequel will hit theaters on May 1, 2015 in the US. Superheroes Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and others are expected to take on the antagonist—Ultron.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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