Star Wars: Everything You Need To Know About Emperor Palpatine

Star Wars: Everything You Need To Know About Emperor Palpatine

In the canon of Star Wars history, there’s one villain who looms above any and all others that have been featured. His shadow is a dark, vast legacy that even Supreme Leader Snoke couldn’t eclipse, and it’s by his hand that the entire cinematic franchise became what it is today. You may know him as Emperor Palpatine, but he wasn’t always the all-powerful, all controlling figure he was when he died in 1983’s Return of the Jedi.

The road to Palpatine’s reign was the result of a long game that saw Sheev Palpatine go from a seemingly kind politician with aspirations for higher office to the most powerful man in the galaxy. His life, aside from the lives of the Skywalker family, is probably the most important to Star Wars history, and his potential resurrection in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it seems like a good time to go over the man’s history.

He Was A Respected Senator Of The Republic

In the first episode of the Star Wars cinematic universe, The Phantom Menace, we’re introduced to Sheev Palpatine as a kindly senator from the lush planet of Naboo. A representative of the planet that, at the time, was dealing with some rather aggressive trade negotiations, Palpatine also took a rather keen interest in Jedi politics.

Most importantly, he befriended a young Anakin Skywalker, promising the Republic would watch his career with great interest after seizing power of the Republic senate. It was these twin passions that would see Sheev rise to power and amass the means to keep it.

Palpatine Overthrew The Government By Playing By Its Own Rules

As it turns out, Senator Palpatine didn’t overthrow the Galactic Republic by any sort of armed coup, at least not in the beginning with his role in The Phantom Menace. Rather, the shrewd politician used an interesting tactic to install himself as the Supreme Chancelor of the Galactic Republic: he triggered a no confidence vote.

He manipulated Queen Amidala, as well as the rest of the Senate, to cast doubt on then Supreme Chancellor Valorum, by painting him as a leader that was ineffectual during the blockade of Naboo by the Trade Federation. The vote ousted Valorum, with Palpatine being elected into the position he would eventually abuse to the fullest extent.

Palpatine’s Hand In Political Turmoil

We saw his opening gambits towards galactic chaos in The Phantom Menace, but Sheev Palpatine had been working behind the scenes under another name: Darth Sidious. To create the conditions to bring himself to power, Palpatine engineered not only the Trade Federation blockade scenario, he also spurred Count Dooku and his confederates to create the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Operating as a separatist movement that looked to leave the Galactic Republic, this rogue body would eventually become the other half of the Clone Wars conflict that weakened the republic to a state where anyone who was smart enough could collapse it. And Sheev was not only smart, he was the Sith Lord who put it all into play.

The Last Supreme Chancellor Of The Republic

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine’s reign extends from the end of The Phantom Menace to a decade later in Attack of the Clones, thanks to some more political wrangling. Eventually, he was able to weaken the Galactic Republic’s government to the point where he could grant himself a longer than usual term, as well as find himself granted some emergency powers. And all he had to do was get the Senate to approve of the measures he saw fit, which was easy considering his charming demeanor, as well as the fact that junior representative Jar Jar Binks helped convince the Senate to grant him said emergency powers.

What did Palpatine do with those powers? Why, he ordered the creation of a clone army, of course. While the Grand Army of The Republic was supposed to fight the supposed threat of the Separatist Army, but in time would be used to execute the most infamous executive order in Star Wars history.

Emperor Palpatine Manipulated Anakin Skywalker, Turning Him To The Dark Side

Throughout his political climb, Sheev Palpatine had been interested in one person’s parallel rise to power: Anakin Skywalker's. Brought into the Jedi Order as a Padawan under Qui-Gon Jinn and eventually becoming an apprentice/partner to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin would fight valiantly as a member of the Jedi Order during the eventual Clone Wars.

But during that time, he would not only find himself falling in love with childhood crush Padme Amidalla, he’d also become embittered about being denied a seat on the Jedi Council. Also denied the rank of Jedi Master, Anakin had one person that he really felt saw his potential: Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Feeding on the young man’s fears and insecurities, Palpatine convinced him to betray the Jedi Order and become his right hand man, Darth Vader.

He’s Really Anakin’s Father

While Palpatine was particularly focused on Anakin Skywalker as his Sith apprentice, there was another reason that he was interested in the young man’s well being. According to recent comic lore, it was Darth Sidious who was the father of Anakin “Darth Vader” Skywalker.

As shown in issue 25 of Darth Vader, the canon now supports the theory that Palpatine/Sidious manipulated Midi-chlorians and created Anakin as a child of virgin conception in his mother, Shmi. This tracks with Palpatine’s big speech at the opera in Revenge of the Sith, in which he describes his Sith Lord master, Darth Plageuis, as a man that could control Midi-chlorians and create life itself.

Palpatine Nearly Exterminated The Jedi, Installing Himself As The Emperor of the Galactic Empire

Perhaps the biggest blow to the freedom of the galaxy in Star Wars was the fact that Sheev Palpatine eventually made himself the Emperor of what eventually became the Galactic Empire. It was in this position of authority that he executed an order that he had built into his legion of Clone Troopers: Order 66. Once granted, this order saw the clones that were sworn to fight for galactic peace commanded to turn on the Jedi and purge them from the galaxy. All but a scarce number of Jedi died that day, with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda being the most notable survivors.

Both went into hiding after they were clued into a potential hope for the galaxy, but at this point in time, it appeared that Emperor Palpatine crushed the Jedi. Moving on to dissolving the Imperial Senate, the only measures Palpatine thought he needed to take to keep the universe to himself was the Death Star in his arsenal, and Darth Vader by his side.

Emperor Palpatine Was Looking For A Way To Cheat Death

The animated series Star Wars Rebels saw Emperor Palpatine searching for something that could grant him even more Force powers than he already had. Located on the planet Lothal, a local Jedi temple had an opening to a sort of pocket universe. Though once a person entered this pocket universe, they could manipulate events throughout time and space, which was exhibited in a moral quandry faced by Rebels’ protagonist Ezra Bridger.

Eventually, Palpatine attempted to seduce Bridger to the Dark Side, much like he did with young Anakin Skywalker, but this attempt failed. Bridger destroyed the temple that housed the portal to this universe of unlimited power, with Palpatine trying to kill him as a result. An important detail to note is that Palpatine names this very portal as, “a conduit between the living and the dead.” So, if someone really wanted to avoid the finality of morality, this would be the way to do it.

Darth Vader Killed Emperor Palpatine, Sacrificing Himself In The Process

Flash forward to the Original Trilogy era of Star Wars, and we see Emperor Palpatine seemingly high on the hog. The Death Star works perfectly, despite some pesky Rebels blowing one up; and Darth Vader just might bring his son, Luke Skywalker, over to the Dark Side of the Force.

But during a climactic confrontation on the second Death Star, The Emperor was betrayed by his apprentice and thrown down an energy shaft that supposedly incinerated him. Darth Vader, in his final moments with his son, felt more like Anakin Skywalker again, and would eventually appear as his younger self in his Force Ghost form. We’re left with the sense that Palpatine is dead, and peace will now ring out through the Galaxy.

But as we see, or rather hear, in the trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Emperor Sheev Palpatine, dark lord of the Sith, may not be as dead as we thought. He may have found his loophole between the worlds of the living and the dead, and merely bided his time until he knew the conditions would be optimal for another bite at the galactic apple. There were plenty of Jedi temples out there, and any one of them could have a portal similar to the one on Lothal. It wouldn’t be that much of a surprise, and honestly, it’s better than the clones that the previous Expanded Universe canon used to keep the character in the picture.

For the moment though, this is everything you need to know about Emperor Palpatine, and with that knowledge, let the speculation begin! Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker finishes the Skywalker Saga on December 20.

Captain Marvel’s Costume Could Have Looked Extremely Different

Captain Marvel’s Costume Could Have Looked Extremely Different

It's a very exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While all eyes are on what will happen when Phase Three comes to a close with Avengers: Endgame, moviegoers are also celebrating the long awaited arrival of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Marvel blockbuster told a 90s set origin story, expanding the universe while also doing some set up for her role in Endgame.

Captain Marvel's onscreen origin was ripped largely from the comics, including the war between the Kree and Skrulls. During filming, it was revealed that the character would be wearing a green incarnation of her costume, something that originally made fans pause. Ultimately her red and blue suit made its way onto the silver screen, although new concept art revealed her costume could have looked very different. Check it out below.

Honestly, who is that? The above image comes to us from Instagram, and shows a version of Carol Danvers who looks almost robotic in appearance. As the Kree warrior known as Vers, this armor is a far departure from the suit that she and the rest of Starforce rocked in Captain Marvel. The rest of the team would have presumably been outfitted the same, although the artist specifically mentioned that Vers was an elite Kree pilot. As such, she might have been given some equipments unique to the rest of Starforce.

The above image also doesn't contain Captain Marvel/The Kree's insignia on the chest. Instead, there's a subtle pin on her right chest plate. This is another unique change to the character, as Carol Danvers has her own logo in the MCU. The entire look gives a robotic feel, although it should be noted that she is at least wearing Captain Marvel's signature red color.

Another concept image took more liberal changes to the costume, although its close to the Kree suit from Captain Marvel. Check it out below.

This look is definitely close to the look Vers was rocking through the majority of Captain Marvel's runtime. We see the suit with her mask on, although a bit of her human skin is shown popping through. While she's no longer robotic in appearance, the artist did make more risky changes to her look than the one eventually settled on.

For one, Captain Marvel's mask puts her hair into a ponytail, rather than the badass mohawk that was shown in the movie. It's a softer and perhaps more logical hairdo, although seeing her hair fall in and out of the mohawk during Captain Marvel was an unexpectedly exciting moment in the final film. The suit also features Vers rocking a much different logo than the one seen on the costumes of Starforce and The Supreme Intelligence in the movie. The insignia looks like an illustration of Saturn, which is inspired by the comics but admittedly more goofy

Ultimately, the costumes in Captain Marvel were fairly accurate to the comics, although less revealing and without Captain Marvel's signature sash around her waist. She spent most of the film in the signature Kree green, but eventually changes the suit's color ahead of the final battle in Act 3. Inspired by the Air Force and Monica Rambeau, she takes the red and blue, and then promptly kicks all the ass with her powers unleashed.

It should be interesting to see if/how Captain Marvel's costumes are changed as her tenure in the MCU continues. Characters like Black Widow, Iron Man, and Captain Marvel are constantly being given updates on their signature look. And with the decades in between Captain Marvel and her eventual appearance in Avengers: Endgame, the first suit might have some wear a tear. Unfortunately, her brief scene in the final Endgame trailer she was in civilian clothes, so it's unclear what she'll look like in The Russo Brothers' highly anticipated blockbuster.

Carol Danvers has gone through a ton of different looks in the comics throughout the years, so the fandom was eager to see what she'd look like in Captain Marvel. While the red and blue suit may be the most modern version of her costume, it certainly wasn't the first. She'd previously had a black leotard costume with a yellow lightning bolt, as well as a crop top costume. Additionally, modern red and blue palette has been used for a ton of different suits, with some of them being little more than a bathing suit for the massively powerful superhero.

In the end, Brie Larson and Marvel Studios wanted to take a step away from the skimpy Captain Marvel suit, and cover Carol Danvers up appropriately during her cosmic and Earth-based adventures. What's more, the costume ended up being a uniform for most of the film's characters, including Yon-Rogg, The Supreme Intelligence, Korath, and Minn-erva. But Carol Danvers made her new allegiance known by changing its color.

While it makes sense that Captain Marvel's costume was adjusted for the MCU, I'm hoping the character's sash/belt eventually makes an appearance. On the page, it gives her a sense of movement. And although Marvel Studios generally tries for more functional and realistic adaptations of comic book costumes, it would excite purists to see that small addition sometime in the future.

Smart money says Carol Danvers will be given a suit in Avengers: Endgame to match the rest of the survivors. She hasn't been shown in the white and red getup, but most of the heroes were shown in matching uniforms during the final trailer. And since that trailer also kept Captain Marvel's appearance until the very final moments, it makes sense that she wasn't shown in the epic long shots in the Avengers facility.

Kevin Feige has teased that Captain Marvel will be a major focus in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Phase Three comes to a close. With Endgame just a month away, it won't be long before the studio can finally share its plans for the future with the public.

Captain Marvel is in theaters now, and Avengers: Endgame will follow suit in April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

This Fake Aquaman 2 Trailer Is Hiding A Funny DC Gag

This Fake Aquaman 2 Trailer Is Hiding A Funny DC Gag

If you were thinking, "wow, it's way to early to be getting any sort of new information about Aquaman 2," then you'd be right. The  movie isn't scheduled for release until 2022, and nothing is really happening with it yet, but that didn't stop the Warner Bros. YouTube page from dropping something this morning that it claimed was a trailer for the forth coming sequel. Needless to say, it was not.

Rather than being a promotion for a project coming in several years, it's actually a promo for one coming in just a few days. Shazam! is DC's next major release and the movie hits theaters at the end of the week. "The Kid Shall Reign" actually has a nice ring to it.

While Aquaman wasn't exactly the most dark and serious of the recent DC films, this little joke promo does show how the universe is shifting into an apparently more fun and light-hearted tone. Aquaman was one of the less serious members of the Justice League, but compared to Shazam, Aquaman has all the angst of your average Batman.

Of course, one area where Shazam! would like to be able to be compared to Aquaman for sure is in the realm of box office receipts. Aquaman became the highest grossing global hit for the DC universe so far, which, to be sure, was something of a surprise for a character that has largely been viewed as one of the Justice League's punchlines up until now. Shazam! isn't expected to do quite that well, but then, Aquaman wasn't either. The fact is that, because of the wider audience that Shazam! is likely to attract, it's very possible that the movie could do incredibly well by selling tickets to kids who might not have been allowed to go see something like Aquaman.

Shazam! is also doing much better with critics than Aquman did, which might help bring in a segment of the audience that avoided the king of the ocean because they heard the movie wasn't necessarily all that great.

Having said that, box office projections for the film have actually been shrinking slightly. The film was looking to do something around $50 million domestically on opening weekend but that number has now slid back into the $45 million range. Although, if international audiences pick up the baton for this one it could still become a massive hit even if it doesn't overwhelm the North American audience. That's ultimately what happened with Aquaman, while that movie did a quite impressive $334 million domestically, it was the over $800 million that was brought in overseas that made the movie the phenomenon that it was.

We still have a few years to wait before we see a trailer for Aquaman 2 but our next dive into the DC universe movies will be here much sooner when Shazam! arrives this week.

Marvel Updates Avengers: Endgame Poster After Leaving Out Danai Gurira’s Name

Marvel Updates Avengers: Endgame Poster After Leaving Out Danai Gurira’s Name

It's an exciting day to be a Marvel fan. With Captain Marvel officially in the rear view, all eyes are on what will go down when The Russo Brothers' Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters next month. The MCU can be a bit more forthcoming with footage now that audiences have met Carol Danvers, and the studio debuted a final trailer and new poster for the Endgame today.

The fans have been pouring over every frame of the new Endgame trailer, in an attempt to figure out what The Russo Brothers have in store for us. The new poster was also epic, but the public (myself included) noticed one thing missing. While Okoye is featured in the group shot, Walking Dead star Danai Gurira's name wasn't listed with the rest of the starring cast. In fact, she was the only actor on the poster that was left out. But Marvel has already updated the poster, and released another that prominently features Gurira's name, check it out:

As you can see, Danai Gurira's name was added to the end of the list next to Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy. Bradley Cooper and Josh Brolin each get special credits with their characters' name, which puts them behind Gurira's name. But now Okoye is as featured as the rest of the surviving heroes, who will fight back against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.

All of the trailers for Avengers: Endgame have been void of the characters who died as a result of Thanos' finger snap of death (aka The Decimation). While the fans assume that the affects of the snap will be reversed eventually, Marvel Studios is advertising an upcoming blockbuster with a focus on the survivors. All of the OG Avengers failed to fade to dust, alongside a few supporting characters including Black Panther's Okoye and M'Baku.

This new Avengers: Endgame poster once again proved how Marvel truly hears the rabid fanbase. Rather than ignoring feedback or backlash, the studio has largely adjusted in order to ensure the droves of moviegoers who see each movie are happy. There were quite a number of tweets about Danai Gurira's lack of billing on the first poster, so the studio quickly correct itself. Furthermore, the new post indicates it was an error, and Gurira was always supposed to be credited as such.

It is important to note that while Danai Gurira's name wasn't at the top billing alongside (literally) everyone else on the poster, she wasn't totally ignored. The first draft featured her name at the bottom of the Avengers: Endgame poster, alongside the rest of the credits. But the visibility of the actress' name was noticeably different, which is why some fans took umbrage with the poster.

Okoye and Wakanda haven't been especially featured in the Avengers: Endgame trailers, so it should be fascinating to see how the technologically advanced society is faring in the wake of The Decimation. With T'Challa dust, the country is in need of a ruler. But who could be on the throne? Shuri? Okoye? M'Baku? And with the heart-shaped herb seemingly destroyed by Killmonger in Black Panther, it's possible that the powers of the panther could be lost forever.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th, complete with Danai Gurira's Okoye. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

James Cameron Refused To Make Terminator: Dark Fate Without Arnold Schwarzenegger

James Cameron Refused To Make Terminator: Dark Fate Without Arnold Schwarzenegger

With the exception of Terminator Salvation (though his likeness was still used in that), Arnold Schwarzenegger has participated in every Terminator movie, and Terminator: Dark Fate is no exception. Dark Fate also marks the return of Terminator franchise mastermind James Cameron, who is producing while Deadpool’s Tim Miller handles directing duties.

That being said, before signing on to Terminator: Dark Fate, James Cameron made it clear that he would only participate if Arnold Schwarzenegger was involved as well, as those two have been friendly with one another for decades. In Cameron’s words:

I said 'Look I'd love to be involved in this, but I can't be involved in a Terminator movie without working with my good friend of 35 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger, even if it's to officially pass the baton to a new generation of characters. So that's what we all agreed to do. Then the question became what about Linda [Hamilton], does Linda want to come back?

James Cameron then added in the now-pulled interview he’d done with Flicks and the City that there was never a plan to have a new actress play Sarah Connor, as was done in Terminator Genisys, where Emilia Clarke played the character. If Linda Hamilton hadn’t wanted to reprise Sarah, then Sarah wouldn’t have been included.

Fortunately for James Cameron and the Terminator: Dark Fate team, Linda Hamilton was willing to appear on camera again as Sarah, her first time doing so since 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day (though she did vocally cameo in Terminator Salvation). And from what we've seen so far, she won't be lacking in badass action scenes.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day also marked James Cameron’s last direct contribution to the Terminator franchise until Terminator: Dark Fate, but evidently he and Arnold Schwarzenegger have remained close in the nearly three decades since then. So after James Cameron regained the Terminator film rights, he refused to pitch in with Dark Fate until Schwarzenegger’s involvement was cemented. Though it’s not like Cameron really had anything to worry about, as Schwarzenegger is still the face of this franchise.

While Arnold Schwarzenegger’s age wasn’t an issue in the first three Terminator movies (though his skin was sagging a little in Rise of the Machines), it definitely needed to be acknowledged by the time Terminator Genisys rolled around. That movie had Schwarzenegger playing Guardian, a.k.a. Pops, a T-800 sent back to look after Sarah Connor as a child. As the years passed, Guardians’s skin covering aged like a normal human’s and his robotic body was somewhat in a state of disrepair in the present day.

We’ll meet another aged T-800 model in Terminator: Dark Fate, although it’s worth remembering that this movie is only serving as a direct sequel to the first two Terminator movies, with the entries in between having occurred in different timelines. It’s unclear how this T-800 specifically fits into the story other than that he will help protect Natalie Reyes’ Dani Ramos, who’s being hunted by a Rev-9 Terminator, played by Gabriel Luna.

It’s also worth mentioning that back in 2017, James Cameron talked about the possibility of including the human who served as the inspiration for the T-800's design. Whether or not that will be part of Terminator: Dark Fate remains to be seen, although Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines did touch on that in a deleted scene.

Still, given James Cameron’s mention of passing the baton (which he’s said before), if Terminator: Dark Fate gets a sequel, we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this movie will serve as a swan song for Arnold Schwarzenegger and/or Linda Hamilton. If that’s the case, then this would definitely be a major, if not the biggest, shift for the Terminator franchise yet.

Terminator: Dark Fate hits theaters on November 1, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are coming out this year.

The Russo Brothers Clarify Captain America’s Avengers: Endgame Conclusion

The Russo Brothers Clarify Captain America’s Avengers: Endgame Conclusion

MASSIVE ahead for Avengers: Endgame. If you haven't seen it, don't read on!

Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for nearly a week, and moviegoers haven't stopped discussing every frame from The Russo Brothers' massive blockbuster. The co-directors threw everything and the kitchen sink into Endgame, resulting in a film with even more scope and heart than Infinity War. The movie ended the Infinity Saga forever, and gave touching endings to some of the OG Avengers.

Chief among them was Chris Evan's Captain America, who most fans were expecting to perish in the second war against Thanos. But The Russo Brothers kept the fandom on their toes, and Steve Rogers was given a much happier ending. Following the Avengers victory, Cap traveled back in time to return the Infinity Stones to their proper locations, but he decides to stay in the past and live with his true love, Peggy Carter. Now The Russo Brothers have clarified how that action affected the multiverse, with Joe recently saying:

If Cap were to go back into the past and live there, he would create a branched reality. The question then becomes, how is he back in this reality to give the shield away?

Does anyone else have chills? While it seemed like Captain America's story was given closure, it looks like there are still some questions to ask following the events of Avengers: Endgame. And that includes why/how he managed to return to the present timeline, and pass off his shield to Anthony Mackie's Falcon.

Marvel fans were happy to see the constantly tortured Steve Rogers finally get the love and companionship he deserves, so few of us stopped to think about exactly why he would return to the MCU's main timeline. Perhaps he had to leave to avoid his younger self thawing from the ice in Captain America: The First Avenger? Or maybe there's a reason why it was the perfect time to pass on the mantle to Sam Wilson.

Related: The First Draft Of Avengers: Endgame Was Originally Very Different

In The Russo Brothers' same conversation with EW, Joe Russo went on to tease more possible story regarding Captain America's time travel and happy ending with Peggy, saying:

Interesting question, right? Maybe there’s a story there. There’s a lot of layers built into this movie and we spent three years thinking through it, so it’s fun to talk about it and hopefully fill in holes for people so they understand what we’re thinking.

If there's one thing The Russo Brothers are good at, it's crafting blockbusters with layers of storytelling. Starting with Captain America: Civil War, the co-directors proved they could balance a large cast, and service each of the characters while telling a larger narrative. Their pair of Avengers flicks are truly remarkable in this way, and the final moments of Avengers: Endgame also set up storytelling possibilities for the future.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Avengers Box Office: Endgame Sets Basically Every Opening Weekend Record

Avengers Box Office: Endgame Sets Basically Every Opening Weekend Record

As we've gotten closer and closer to the release of Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Endgame in recent weeks, the big question wasn't whether or not the film could become the biggest film opening in history, as that was basically a given. The real question was about the ceiling. Just how much could one blockbuster make in a single weekend? Well, we now have our answer, and it's absolutely blowing minds. The Marvel Studios blockbuster has managed to basically set every record possible - not just domestically, but all around the world. Check out the Top 10 below, and join me after for analysis!

The previous record holder for biggest opening weekend ever was established last year when Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War made a stunning $257.7 million domestically in its first week of release, and $640.5 million worldwide, but those look like nothing compared to what Avengers: Endgame just pulled off in its first few days of release (though admittedly it did have a big advantage by being released day-and-date in China). While some questioned whether it was actually physically possible for a movie - particularly a three hour one - to make more than $300 million in a three day weekend, the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe totally blew away all prognostications with a $350 million start in North America, and a $1.2 billion start globally.

To put those numbers in perspective, it took a grand total of five days for Avengers: Endgame to become the 18th highest grossing film of all time - hitting 10 figures more than twice as fast as Avengers: Infinity War (which took 11 days to hit a billion dollars). It still has a long way to go before it starts getting closer to the top of that particular chart, with James Cameron's Avatar still firmly planted at number one with its insane $2.788 billion final figure, but no matter where it ends up, it's going to be called one of the most successful blockbuster releases of all time.

This obviously isn't going to be a flash in the pan either, as Avengers: Endgame has not only lived up to being one of the most anticipated films of all time, but it is also being warmly embraced by basically everybody. Critics have been showing it some extreme love ever since the review embargo lifted on Tuesday, as it currently has a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes - which is higher than every other Marvel Studios release other than Ryan Coogler's Black Panther (which maintains a 97 percent on the site). Obviously audiences are really loving it as well, and that's not something solely reflected with how they have voted with their dollar. CinemaScore is reporting an "A+" for the title, which is a grade only two other Marvel Studios releases have received: the aforementioned Black Panther, and Joss Whedon's The Avengers back in 2012.

How far will it ultimately climb up the all time release charts, though? That's a question that pundits will be focusing on for the next month, as it does have a certain disadvantage that's hard to ignore when you compare it to the titles that populate the top of that particular list. Avatar, James Cameron's Titanic, and J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens all had the benefit of coming out in mid- or late December, and the impact of that can't be undersold in their final figures. January is notoriously one of the worst movie months of the year, and all three of those films were able to keep making money deep into the new year because they lacked any real competition.

Meanwhile, the coming weeks will see Avengers: Endgame going up against some major new titles, including Rob Letterman's Detective Pikachu, Guy Ritchie's Aladdin, and Mike Dougherty's Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. At least one of those titles is going to unseat the Marvel feature from its spot at the top of the charts, and even those that don't are going to take a bite out of the earnings it would make if they didn't they didn't exist.

As for the rest of the Top 10... nobody can really be surprised by the results. Avengers: Endgame was the movie to see this weekend, and so little else got much attention.

That being said, as though the success of the Joe and Anthony Russo film weren't enough, Marvel Studios got a minor double win this week with Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel doing a bit of chart climbing. The film has been a consistent presence in the Top 10 ever since its release in early March, but the arrival of Avengers: Endgame has definitely boosted it a bit. Two weeks ago the billion dollar hit had gone down to the number six slot, but its been moving north ever since. Last week it was positioned at number four, and now it's the second biggest movie in North America - probably because there are at least a few people out there either playing catch up (having not seen the Brie Larson feature yet), or constructing a special big screen double feature.

It's earnings have still been dropping (it made 11.6 percent less this week than last week), but the ranking situation is still a feather in its cap.

From a macro perspective, it's also worth recognizing that this was far and away the biggest box office weekend we've seen so far in 2019 - and we're talking by more than double. It's no secret that this has been a sadly slow year for Hollywood, but that shouldn't undercut this accomplishment entirely. All together, every movie showing in theaters this weekend (a total of 45 titles) made $392,178,036. The previous #1 weekend for this year was when Captain Marvel came out on March 8th, and at that time the 105 features showing on the big screen only managed to make $210,498,437. That's pretty nuts, and we probably won't see anything like it until J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker hits in December.

We have every expectation that Avengers: Endgame will once again dominate next week (a serious 60 percent drop would still result in it making $145 million), but audiences will also have the chance to go see Jonathan Levine's Long Shot, Ben Bray's El Chicano, Deon Taylor's The Intruder, and Kelly Asbury's Ugly Dolls. It should result in a nice shakeup for the Top 10, so be sure to come back next Sunday to see how it all turns out.