'Avengers: Endgame' crushes box office records in $1.2 billion global debut

Superhero movie "Avengers: Endgame" smashed box office records with global ticket sales estimated at $1.2 billion through Sunday, distributor Walt Disney Co said. "Endgame" generated a jaw-dropping $350 million in the United States and Canada, the world`s largest movie market. The total far surpassed analyst estimates and the previous record of $257.7 million set a year ago by "Avengers: Infinity War."

"Endgame" also set weekend records in China, Brazil, France, more than three dozen other markets, Disney said.

The three-hour action spectacle is the final chapter in a story told in 22 Marvel Studios movies since 2007. It features popular comic-book characters such as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in a battle against the supervillain Thanos (Josh Brolin).

The movie picked up after an epic cliffhanger at end of "Infinity War," when many beloved Marvel superheroes appeared to turn to dust.