Doctor Strange has only just been released in many areas across the world, but the movie is already exceeding expectations. It got off to a strong start last weekend during its initial release overseas, setting Marvel Studios’ latest film up to do even better than expected for the worldwide release. It was projected to do between $65-$70 million, but it became clear after the impressive Friday night haul helped push the movie to an estimated $85 million domestically in its opening weekend.

The positive response appears to not just be a domestic trend, with it appearing that all audiences are taking kindly to Marvel’s newest, most magical hero yet. Thanks to the higher than anticipated earnings domestically and building off the previous week at the international box office, Doctor Strange has been have an impressive start.

BoxOffice on Twitter has revealed that Doctor Strange is on track to earn an estimated $325 million in total by the time the weekend comes to a close. In addition to the $85 million domestically, the film added $118 million in international territories. This increase in its second week is thanks to getting released in more markets, such as China, and setting a record for being in 1001 IMAX screens.

DOCTOR STRANGE has a massive $118.7M estimated overseas weekend, up 38.0%, for a $240.4M overseas / $325.4M global total. #DoctorStrange— BoxOffice (@BoxOffice) November 6, 2016

Thanks to these box office numbers, Doctor Strange has already surpassed The Incredible Hulk’s total gross in the first full week of release. Next up is Captain America: The First Avenger’s $370 million, which should not be a problem for it to pass up over the next few days. It is clear that the Marvel Studios brand is helping the film achieve these numbers, but it also has a recognizable lead in Benedict Cumberbatch and more familiar faces in the supporting cast. Both of those are definitely factors for the film’s success, but so does the 90% rating it currently sits with on Rotten Tomatoes.

With Doctor Strange already exceeding expectations in all markets, it has gotten off to the good start it needs to further climbs the ranks of other Marvel films. Given the response to the magical adventure, it appears Marvel Studios has once again found a new franchise to be a cornerstone to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They already have a packed schedule, but with Kevin Feige and director Scott Derrickson already teasing plans for a sequel, these early numbers should only give them more confidence in the property moving forward.

Source: BoxOffice

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