Marvel announced last Friday that its 22nd and very last film from its Avengers franchise, Endgame, is going to be released on Wednesday 24 April in China – a full two days ahead of the US rollout. Accompanying the announcement is a China-exclusive poster that sees the return of Valkyrie and Chinese superhero Wong.
The franchise’s last movie,
Avengers: Infinity War, earned a record 200 million USD in China during its opening week despite being released over a week later than in North America, making it the third-highest grossing film in China during its first week, after
The Fate of the Furious (2017) and
Furious 7 (2015), which earned 392 million USD and 391 million USD respectively, according to
The Hollywood Reporter.
This isn’t the first time Hollywood has lured fans from the Middle Kingdom with an advanced premiere. In an unprecedented move, Warner Bros released DC’s Aquaman two weeks before the US debut last year. The end result wasn’t half bad, with a box office of 135 million USD in the first week and a total of 298.3 million USD, making it Warner Bros’ highest grossing film in China.
Marvel fans rejoiced on China’s social media platform
Weibo upon hearing the official announcement. One user joked that fans in China now won't need to cut their power or Internet connection for fear of spoilers, while another urged Chinese fans not to spoil the film now that the tables have turned, and to show some respect for fans in other parts of the world.
