Thor-some: Avengers close to sinking Titanic at box office

After crossing the $600 million mark in the US this week, Marvel's Avengers could sink Titanic to become the second highest-grossing film in US history.

But Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk and pals still have their work cut out for them.

Avengers lags at number three at the total global box office, with earnings of $1.4 billion, behind Titanic's $2.1 billion, and the number one film of all time, James Cameron's other blockbuster Avatar, which raked in a colossal $2.7 billion worldwide.

This year's Titanic 3D re-release notched its takings up to $658 million in the US, which gives Avengers an "outside chance" of hitting the mark, according to industry insiders Studio Briefing.

BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino estimates Avengers will only make around $25-30 million more in the US, missing the boat (yes, that boat).

The release of The Dark Knight Rises in July is expected to shake up the box office even more, although it should be noted its predecessor, The Dark Knight, sits at the $1 billion mark at number 12 on the all-time box-office list.

Early tracking indicates that the latest Batman flick will open in the US just behind comic-book rivals, the Avengers (Batman is DC, Avengers are Marvel).

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