Captain America: Civil War Debuts Abroad

In a preview of what could be the biggest domestic box-office debut of the year, Captain America: Civil War will debut in several international markets on Wednesday, and industry observers will be watching closely in order to get a better handle on what to expect from the film's U.S. debut next week.

Everyone knows that Civil War is going to be big, but predictions of just how big vary widely. Disney, the studio that's releasing Civil War, is estimating that the movie will bring in about $175 million during its domestic opening weekend, but some experts think that it could go much bigger than that, perhaps breaking the $200-million barrier. That could put the movie within striking distance of second place on the list of biggest openings of all time; that honor is currently held by Jurassic World, which opened with almost $209 million last summer.

More than just a vehicle for the Captain America character, Civil War is essentially a third Avengers movie, with many of the superteam's members in its cast. It also boasts the Disney debut of Spider-Man, one of the most beloved of all Marvel superhero characters.

Civil War opens this week in many international markets, including Japan, Mexico, Korea, France and the U.K. It officially opens in the U.S. on May 6.