DISNEY Marvel’s upcoming mega-tentpole “Avengers: Infinity War” has secured its release date in China.

    The film, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and featuring most of the Marvel pantheon, will unfurl in China on May 11, two weeks after its North American debut April 27.

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe is Hollywood’s biggest overall franchise in China by far, challenged only by “The Fast and the Furious” and past enthusiasm for the “Transformers” movies. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” earned US$240 million in the country in 2015, setting a slew of records at the time. “Captain America” and “Iron Man” movies also have been huge earners, while other MCU character titles consistently pull in more than US$100 million. 

    Disney is also planning a major Avengers Tour at the Shanghai Disney Resort on April 19 to promote the release. No word yet on exactly which talent will be on hand for the extravaganza.

    “Infinity War” reunites the “Avengers” gang and friends, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), as they join forces with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” crew — Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista and Bradley Cooper — to stop the evil intergalactic despot Thanos (Josh Brolin). Other characters from the MCU making a play include Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston).(SD-Agencies)