Disney's star-studded Marvel blockbuster, "The Avengers," smashed box office records with a $220.3 million debut weekend, beating the previous record holder, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows."

"Marvel was really smart in that they plotted to bring all these superheroes together, over four separate movie franchises, starting with 'Iron Man' which stars Robert Downey Jr." said Amy Kaufman, staff writer for the L.A. Times. "So, with each film being with 'Thor' or 'Captain America,' the studio is really building equity with fans and generating excitement.”

Could the success of the movie make up for the "John Carter" flop earlier this year?

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Amy Kaufman is a staff writer for the L.A. Times.