LOS ANGELES — Disney and Marvel could be one of the finest teams around.

Continuing the success of their superhero franchise, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has set a record as the biggest domestic April release ever. The Disney sequel debuted with $96.2 million, topping the previous record-holder, 2011’s “Fast Five,” which opened with $86.2 million.

“The Winter Soldier,” which stars Chris Evans as the shield-wielding superhero and Scarlett Johansson (whose sci-fi film “Under the Skin” also debuted this weekend with $140,000) as Black Widow, commanded 32 international markets last weekend.

Expanding to Russia, Australia and China in its second week, the Marvel comic adaptation, boasting a budget of over $170 million, earned $107.1 million internationally this weekend, bringing its overall worldwide haul to more than $303 million.

Also a touchstone for Imax, “The Winter Soldier” received $9.6 million of its U.S. haul on 346 screens showing the film in the enhanced resolution format. Internationally, it showed on 278 Imax screens, bringing in $6.5 million, $4 million of which was delivered from China.

“Captain America: The First Avenger,” which had a budget of around $140 million, debuted in July 2011 with $65 million. Overall, it earned $371 million worldwide.

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“There are very few movie brands that are this consistent,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, said of the Disney-Marvel team.

“For ‘The Winter Soldier’ to push on $100 million in April shows that you can release a big movie any time of the year.”

Meanwhile, Paramount’s biblical saga “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson, took a drastic dip in its second weekend, earning $17 million after debuting with $44 million. Still, it sailed into second place, crossing the $70 million mark domestically, while pushing Lionsgate’s young adult science-fiction thriller “Divergent,” led by Shailene Woodley, to third with $13 million in its third week. Its stateside total is now $114 million.

Freestyle Releasing’s surprise hit “God’s Not Dead” took the No. 4 slot with $7.7 million in its third weekend. Coming in at No. 5, Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” collected $6.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $33 million.


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