Avengers: Endgame has made box office history by taking a record-breaking $1.2bn in global ticket sales in its opening .

The Disney blockbuster has become the fastest film ever to break the $1bn barrier, doing so in just five days.

Endgame is the 22nd offering in the Marvel Studios superhero franchise.

Its opening takings smashed the previous global debut record of $640million set by last year’s Avengers: Infinity War.

In the US alone, Endgame, which stars Robert Downey Jr, as Iron Man, brought in a record $350m.

It also drew huge audiences in China, where it made a record $330.5million after opening there on April 24, ahead of North America.

The popular Avengers franchise began back in 2008 with Iron Man.

Endgame has received positive reviews from critics, with a 96 per cent approval rating.