Marvel's Avengers Assemble smashed box office records in America yesterday, taking $200 million in one weekend. That's the highest opening of any film ever ever ever.

With high ticket prices and 3D uplifts, it's no surprise that blockbusters are breaking records every year (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 threw down the Quidditch gauntlet last year with a $169m opening). So far, The Avengers has taken 440 odd million dollars worldwide, putting it well on course for breaching the $1 billion barrier broken by Avatar back in 2010 - and that's still nowhere near the all-time adjusted gross takings for Gone with the Wind: a Hulk-smashing $1,582,009,400.

As one of my favourite blokes off the internet put it last night:

 

A billion here. A few million there. A couple of Andy Carrolls on top. Let's put this into perspective. As I'm writing this, I have a little over £3,000 in my bank account. That's a lot of money. 

So before you start typing the words "Avengers" and "box office records", read on to see what exactly $200m is worth. (Any numerical errors are a direct result of my brain melting after trying to grasp the concept of $200 million.)

Marvel's amazing Avengers Assemble is out in UK cinemas today. And what better way to celebrate than with super-cupcakes?

Now, anyone who's spoken to me for more than 10 minutes is probably all-too-aware of my obsessive baking habits. From this James Bond birthday cake to the annual OscarNomnomnom Challenge, I love me some edible film goodness. So here you go: some freshly made Avengers cupcakes.

But rather than just post a picture and be all smug and fat about it (yes, I ate them all), I thought: why should I get to have all the fun? So read on for the full recipe and instructions to help you assemble your very own Avengers cupcakes. (Note: get an adult to help you with Arc Reactor part - or at least a robotic arm.)

Oh, and by all means send me pictures of yours if you think they're better (they probably are.) Bonus points if you come up a cupcake design for Black Widow that isn't just two massive balls of marzipan in a black icing jumpsuit. Mmmm.... Scarlett Johansson and marzipan...

Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Clark Gregg, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston
Certificate: 12A
Trailer

You could easily spend an Avengers Assemble review just quoting endless lines of dialogue. That's how good the script is. Yes, Marvel, the folks who brought us Iron Man 2, have just been praised for their astute screenwriting. Because Avengers Assemble is a superbly written film.

Throughout this colossal marketing campaign - and that's what The Avengers franchise has mostly been - Marvel have (Iron Man's bloated sequel aside) consistently beaten my expectations. And now expectations are actually high? They've gone and topped them again. Because rather than let producer Kevin Feige dictate the dialogue, the Marvel demi-god hired geek king, comic nerd, writer-extraordinaire and all-round love of my life Joss Whedon to make a movie. And holy purple shorts, he assembles the heck out of it.

It's not a Friday unless it involves Tony Stark and a Norse demi-god kicking the crap out of each other.

"I have an army," smirks Tom Hiddleston's Loki in this new Avengers Assemble clip.

"We have a Hulk," retorts Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark.

<squee>Joss Whedon/Marvel's Avengers Assemble looks better and better with every day that goes by.</squee>

Head over this way to watch the full Avengers Assemble trailer. 

Earlier this week, Marvel released a new character poster for Avengers Assemble, entirely devoted to one man: Clark Gregg - or, when he's not giving his name to popular chain of sausage roll vendors, S.H.I.E.L.D's Agent Coulson.

Yes, Agent Coulson. The guy who popped up in the background of almost every film released in the past three years has been promoted to leading star status. 

It's good for him, really - I'm quite a fan of Clark's tight-lipped, deadpan delivery in things like (500) Days of Summer and Mr Popper's Penguins - but if it can happen to Agent Coulson, why not the other background players of Marvel's epic Avengers franchise? The robotic arm in Iron Man surely deserves a poster? Or how about that scene-stealing lamppost in Thor? Or that random soldier guy who walked past Captain America that one time in a field?

Then I stopped procrastinating in Photoshop and started thinking. A bit-part cameo player, brought to the foreground to tie together an endless string of sequels, prequels and other entries in a colossal franchise that will never end? We've seen that before...

And so I present to you, Agent Coulson: The Jim's Dad of Marvel's Avengers:

If Agent Coulson doesn't do it for you, feast your eyes on the Stifler's Mum of Marvel's franchise: a Scarlett Johansson Avengers clip is this way.

Marvel Avengers Assemble is out in cinemas on Thursday 26th April. Head this way to watch the official Avengers Assemble trailer.

After watching this new Avengers Assemble clip of Black Widow kicking butt (while on the phone to Clark Gregg's Agent Coulson), I have one thing to say to Scarlett Johansson: MARRY ME.

This offer is also extended to Joss Whedon - here's a spoiler-free Cabin in the Woods review to explain why.

Marvel Avengers Assemble is out on Thursday 26th April - head this way to watch the full Avengers Assemble trailer.

Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson
Certificate: TBC
Release Date: Thursday 26th April

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel Avengers Assemble”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel Avengers Assemble” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel Avengers Assemble" hits UK cinemas on April 26, 2012.

In “Marvel Avengers Assemble” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

It's official. The Avengers Super Bowl trailer has been released by Marvel - and Joss Whedon's superhero flick is full of action, CGI and Mark Ruffalo in full-on green mode. "I have an army," scowls Tom Hiddleston's Loki. Tony Stark's reply is short: "We have a Hulk."

Here it is:

The Avengers is out on Friday 27th April - and continues to look surprisingly good. There's more stuff on the official Avengers Facebook page.  

Director: Joe Johnston
Cast: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell
Certificate: 12A
Trailer

Captain America: The First Avenger proclaims the title in Marvel’s typical Avengers-promoting fashion. After all the films advertising the 2012 blockbuster, it's a wonder Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) hasn't become bored of getting the band back together and gone home to polish his eye patch.

Fortunately, Captain America is worth the wait. But now he's here, everyone wants to know two things: How many Nazis does he kill? And how many times does Chris Evans take his shirt off? The answer to both: not enough.