"The Avengers" set to challenge for domestic record

UPDATE: Marvel's "The Avengers" hauls in a staggering $80.5 million in its opening day Friday. Many media sources are now confidently predicting the superhero epic will push past $170 million for its opening weekend which would make it the new #1 opening weekend of all time.

The box office juggernaut that is Marvel's "The Avengers" has trained its sights squarely on the domestic box office records for opening Friday and opening weekend. Both those records are currently held by the Harry Potter finale "Deathly Hallows 2" from last year which opened with a $91 million Friday and a $169 million weekend. Studio estimates for The Avengers have been tracking upward all week as astonishing numbers have come in from overseas markets and showing after showing has sold out in the US prior to the film's opening. We already know that The Avengers earned $18.7 million in its midnight showings besting the superhero record set 3 years ago by "The Dark Knight" and that it's worldwide total (without having played a full day in the US, Russia or Communist China) stands at $322 million, but where will it go from here? Is $170 million or more really in play? That would be pretty amazing and a stunning vindication of Marvel's brazen master plan to bring the ensemble to life on the big screen.

Fans line up for midnight showing of Marvel's "The Avengers"

While it seems a no-brainer now that the Avengers will take the top spot at the domestic box office this year it should be remembered that such a feat was anything but guaranteed only a month ago. Most people would have put any one of several movies atop the year-end list over The Avengers. But now that it seems Joss Whedon's superpic will not be denied the only question that's lingering in my head is whether the long awaited "Dark Knight Rises" (which many were and still are picking to be the year's domestic box office champion) will come in 2nd, 3rd or maybe even 4th or 5th. I could see a scenario where the domestic order winds up like this...

1) The Avengers
2) The Hunger Games
3) The Hobbit: An unexpected journey
4) Prometheus
5) The Dark Knight Rises

Then again no shuffling of the order of numbers 2 thru 5 would really surprise me. The only thing that would surprise me would be a different #1. Whatever the final box office verdict it will be fun to watch.