Will Captain America: Civil War Be the Biggest Marvel Movie Ever?

It's already obvious that Captain America: Civil War is not going to be just another Marvel franchise movie, the likes of Ant-Man or Thor, but it's starting to look like there's a possibility the movie could be the most financially successful Marvel movie to date, pushing beyond even The Avengers films that have so far ruled the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Studios and experts are closely following the buzz around the movie as it nears its early-May release date, and so far, everything points to an opening weekend of unusual size. Tracking suggests an opening weekend take somewhere in the vicinity of $175 million, and some speculators think that $200 million isn't out of the question. Even the $175-million figure would put Civil War ahead of Iron Man 3 and take third place among all-time superhero movie openings. Earnings of $200 million would move Civil War past Avengers: Age of Ultron and put it within striking distance of The Avengers' $207 million.

Excitement is high over Civil War because it is essentially an Avengers movie with lots of bonuses. It includes the majority of the Avengers line-up in its cast, and it will also include relative newcomers such as Ant-Man and the debut of a new hero, Black Panther. The storyline also includes a spectacular conflict between superhero factions, a plot formula that always piques the interest of comic-book fans.

Arguably the movie's biggest draw, however, is the inclusion of Marvel's biggest superhero name, Spider-Man. Taken all together, Civil War has an unprecedented list of ingredients, and that might result in unprecedented success.