Shocking as it may sound, Marvel’s “The Avengers” scored a No. 1 debut on the home-entertainment charts this week.
After grossing more than $1.5 billion worldwide during its theatrical run, the Joss Whedon superhero blockbuster logged a massive tally in its first week on DVD/Blu-ray, selling 34 times more copies than the No. 2 title on the list, Warner Bros.’ animated Batman movie “The Dark Knight Returns – Part 1.”
Not only that, but the excitement surrounding “The Avengers'” home-entertainment launch resulted in a chart resurgence for a slew of other Marvel titles including “Thor” (No. 8), “Captain America: The First Avenger” (No. 13), “Iron Man 2” (No. 14), “The Incredible Hulk” (No. 19) and “Iron Man” (No. 23). Talk about teamwork.
According to Nielsen VideoScan (via Home Media Magazine), 72% of “The Avengers”‘ disc sales came from the Blu-ray format – a percentage that amounts to “a record high for a new-release theatrical on disc in which both DVD and Blu-ray formats were equally available” – with the 3D Blu-ray combo pack edition accounting for 23% of total sales.
Did you buy “The Avengers” on DVD or Blu-ray last week? Let us know in the comments.