Avengers: Endgame has made box office history by taking a record-breaking $1.2bn (£929m) in global ticket sales in its opening run. The Disney blockbuster has become the fastest film ever to break the $1bn barrier, doing so in just five days.

Endgame’s opening box office haul smashed the previous global debut record of $640m set by last year’s Avengers: Infinity War.

In the US alone Endgame brought in a record $350m. It also drew huge audiences in China, where it made a record $330.5m after opening there on Wednesday, ahead of North America.

Reacting to the astonishing commercial success Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn said in a statement.

“Though Endgame is far from an end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these first 22 films constitute a sprawling achievement, and this weekend’s monumental success is a testament to the world they’ve envisioned, the talent involved, and their collective passion, matched by the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world”