"The Avengers" kick butt around the world

Setting box office records nearly everywhere it opened Wednesday Marvel's "The Avengers" has posted a 5 day international total of $178 million. That's more than "Battleship" has accumulated in its first couple of weeks and is approaching the 5 week international total for "The Hunger Games", which it should pass in just a few days.

Marvel's long-anticipated superhero epic opened at #1 in every market it entered and while the $178 million 5 day total is certainly impressive it has to be mentioned that the movie has yet to debut in the potentially huge markets of Russia, Japan and Communist China.

The Avengers opens stateside on May 4th and with presale tickets going through the roof looks to become the years first real blockbuster.