Box-Office Milestone: 'Thor: The Dark World' Thunders Past $500 Million Globally

The sequel marks another jewel in the crown for Marvel's "Avengers" film franchise.

Further boosted by a strong run in China, Thor: The Dark World has muscled its way past the $500 million mark in global ticket sales.

The sequel underscores the superhero-like strength of Disney and Marvel Studios' Avengers films franchise, and marks the third Disney title this year to cross $500 million after Iron Man 3 and Pixar's Monsters University.

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Thor 2, returning Chris Hemsworth in the title role, has already surpassed the lifetime runs of Captain America ($371 million) and the first Thor ($449 million).

Domestically, Thor 2 has earned $151 million to date and $352.2 million overseas. China leads with $46.1 million, followed by Russia ($33.6 million), the U.K. ($28.3 million), Brazil ($22.2 million) and Mexico ($20.9 million).

The 3D tentpole will face serious competition this weekend as Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire launches around the globe.