Anticipation Is High As Marvel Fans Gear Up For 'Avengers: Endgame'

AVENTURA (CBSMiami) -- Marvel fans are in the endgame now, so they're gearing up to watch the three-hour epic finale of 10 years and 22 films of superheroes who have conquered the Earth, space and beyond.

"Avengers: Endgame" opens Thursday night, shattering presale records after last year's "Infinity War" left moviegoers stunned and impatient to see how Earth's mightiest heroes bring the galaxy back from oblivion.

Some dedicated fans have taken their commitment to see "Endgame" to the next level by watching three days of back-to-back Marvel movies at 12 theaters nationwide holding the marathon event.

The Avengers saga is the film industry's highest-grossing franchise of all time and it is poised to set box office records when it opens nationwide.

As fans flock to theaters, 17 AMC Theaters in the country are staying open 72 straight hours to keep up with demand.

AMC in Aventura is not one of those, but all 24 of their auditoriums played the film after 8 p.m. on opening day. The last showing doesn't get out until 6:43 a.m.

Disney says the movie brought in an opening day record of $107 million in China on Wednesday.

So why is this film such a big deal?

It's the final chapter of a story that was ten years in the making.

"Iron Man" kicked off the franchise when it debuted on May 2, 2008. Since then, the world met Captain America, Thor, Doctor Strange and the Hulk. We also met characters whose own origin stories broke ground and shattered glass ceilings -- not to mention box office records -- with "Black Panther" and "Captain Marvel."

"Endgame" will also reveal what happens after the dramatic cliffhanger ending in "Infinity War" where -- without spoiling it for the uninitiated -- a lot of major characters died. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most successful franchises in movie history.

Don't forget, the movie is three hours long, roughly 30 minutes longer than "Infinity War," so plan your bathroom breaks wisely.