‘Guardians’ Vs. ‘Avengers': ‘Vol. 2’ Could Top ‘Age of Ultron’ on Box Office Blastoff
The comic book sequel starring Chris Pratt has long been expected to continue the tradition of a Marvel movie kicking off the summer blockbuster season in a huge way.
The upcoming “Guardians” opening weekend is already poised to rival the studio’s crown jewels — the “Avengers” movies.
Whether they come from the Marvel Cinematic Universe or one of Marvel’s external properties, like “X-Men,” a Marvel movie has come out in the first weekend of May every year since 2007, and the top five biggest domestic openings for Marvel movies have come from this release slot.
According to Fandango, ticket presales for “Vol. 2” are outpacing that of the “Avengers” sequel released two years ago.
Surging presales could be a good omen again for Disney, allowing Star-Lord and his band of cosmic mercenaries to bring in a haul on the same level as their counterparts in Avengers HQ, perhaps even surpassing “Civil War,” and better yet, “Age of Ultron.”
Even if they don’t reach such lofty heights, the numbers that will roll in this weekend will be a testament to how James Gunn and Marvel Studios have turned a group of obscure Marvel characters into pop culture icons as popular among moviegoers as Batman or Iron Man.