Avengers: Doomsday has already cleared over $125m at the box office in preview sales – despite the film not being released for another month and a half.
The figure means that the superhero team-up film, which will see Robert Downey Jr return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), already ranks among the top 40 highest-grossing films of the year. Cinemagoers are currently able to purchase advance tickets to screenings in December, with some release-day showings already sold out entirely.
Forbes reported the film’s earnings as being in excess of $125m (£93.2m) last week, with the figure having continued to rise in the days since the report was published. It is expected to have surpassed the recent comic book adaptation Supergirl, produced for rival studio DC, and has already earned more than recent blockbusters such as The End of Oak Street ($121.6m/£90.6m), Masters of the Universe ($113.8m/£84.8m), and Practical Magic 2 ($105.7m/£78.8m).
Doomsday features what is being described as the largest cast of stars in history, with actors from across the MCU – and previous Marvel adaptations, including the X-Men franchise – set to appear.
Among the confirmed cast members are Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, and Downey Jr, all of whom appeared in previous Avengers films.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are also set to feature, as are MCU returning players Channing Tatum, Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman.
The late Sir Patrick Stewart will be reprising his role in the X-Men franchise, alongside fellow stars Kelsey Grammer, Sir Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden.
Other actors are also rumoured to be involved, including Hugh Jackman, who plays Wolverine, and Ryan Reynolds, who fronted the Deadpool franchise.
The most recent Avengers film, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, reclaimed its spot as the highest-grossing film of all time following a theatrical re-release earlier this year. James Cameron’s sci-fi epic Avatar had held the position until then.
While Doomsday looks set for a mammoth run at the box office – going up against the release of the sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Three the same weekend – the film has endured a turbulent production history.
Doomsday is the beginning of a two-part story arc that will conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars next year.
Originally, the film was set to platform Jonathan Majors as its central villain, reprising his MCU role as Kang.
The film, announced under the title Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, was reworked following Majors’s conviction for assault, with Downey Jr stepping in to take the place of the fired actor as newly introduced villain Doctor Doom.
Downey Jr had previously played the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man in multiple films across the MCU, until his character’s death at the end of Endgame.
In the years since Endgame, the MCU has struggled to maintain its reputation among fans and critics, with a number of films receiving poor reviews and under-performing at the box office. This year’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day was a note-worthy exception, making over $2.5bn.
Avengers: Doomsday is released in cinemas on 18 December.
Read MoreAmanda Seyfried names hit film she turned down over fears it would ‘ruin’ her career
Marvel star reveals real reason she quit acting at the height of Hollywood success
Marvel star says he asked to quit MCU: ‘They wouldn’t let me’
