Scarlett Johansson At Vanity Fair Party

Box-office expert looks at possible competition from 'Dark Knight Rises,' 'Amazing Spider-Man' and more.By Kara Warner Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson in "Avengers" Photo: Marvel Studios Now that so many of us have seen "Marvel's The Avengers" and helped make it this summer's box-office blockbuster to beat, it's time to look ahead at the rest of the season's cinematic offerings to see which tentpole has the power to compete with Earth's mightiest heroes. The likeliest contender competing for some of the "Avengers"-size box-office haul is "The Dark Knight Rises," Christopher Nolan's dark, brooding, third and supposedly final Batman movie. Other buzz-worthy potential moneymakers to keep an eye on are Ridley Scott's "Alien"-esque prequel "Prometheus," Marc Webb's "The Amazing Spider-Man," Rupert Sanders' "Snow White and the Huntsman" and Barry Sonnenfeld's "Men in Black 3." To be fair, the "Avengers" haul is going to be very difficult to duplicate, particularly the record-breaking opening-weekend take of $207.1 million, which beat the $169.2 million set by previous champ "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," MTV News consulted Boxoffice.com editor Phil Contrino for his wisdom on the subject and to see if any other summer fare has a chance at besting the records set by "Avengers." "I don't think anything other than 'Dark Knight Rises' can pull it off," Contrino said. "With 'Spider-Man,' every time a franchise is rebooted, it takes a while for the fans to dip their toes in the water and get a feel for it. 'Spider-Man' will be the same thing, maybe worse, because it's so close to the [release] of the original. 'X-Men: First Class' and even 'Batman Begins' didn't open to huge numbers, and a lot of people forget that. 'Prometheus' is [rated] R. For an R-rated movie to do $200 million would be something really monumental, almost impossible, I think." Contrino went on to say that "Dark Knight Rises" has a couple of factors that will prevent it from catching "Avengers," but that it does have a chance of besting the #2 best opening-weekend gross set by "Deathly Hallows, Part 2." "It's not in 3-D, so it doesn't have the bonus financial boost, and it's not nearly as family-friendly; it's dark and broody. Disney did a good job of turning 'Avengers' into a family-friendly movie. I think that's ultimately what pushed it as far as it's gone," Contrino said. "I don't see anything else this summer beating it." Check out everything we've got on "Marvel's The Avengers." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: 'The Avengers' Related Photos 'Avengers' Assemble At Los Angeles Premiere 'Avengers'

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's 'Dark Shadows' debuts at a distant #2.By Ryan J. Downey Chris Hemsworth in "Avengers" Photo: Marvel The Avengers isn't the only club to count Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the rest of the crew as members. Earth's Mightiest Heroes joined the $1 billion club over the weekend, shattering more box-office records and collecting enough cash to outgross "Alice in Wonderland" on the all-time worldwide box-office list. "Dark Shadows," Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton's first collaboration since "Alice," settled for a distant #2 debut. "The Avengers" reached the $1 billion mark as quickly as "Avatar" and the last "Harry Potter" movie, despite opening earlier overseas than in America. Marvel's action-packed tentpole (which unites several of their heroes) already broke the all-time opening weekend record when it opened last weekend, and with it's $103.2 million estimated domestic gross this weekend, "The Avengers" is now the record holder for the biggest second-weekend number too. Thanks to its $628.9 million 19-day international haul, "The Avengers" is now one of only 11 movies to climb past the $1 billion mark worldwide. Marvel's first movie under the Disney umbrella benefited from its comic book origins, repeat viewings, a positively reviewed story from director/co-writer Joss Whedon and the combined star power of folks like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. Truthfully, "Dark Shadows" never stood a chance. The eighth collaboration between Depp and Burton — a campy take on a decades-old low-budget vampire soap opera — made $28.8 million domestically during its first weekend in theaters. By comparison, Depp and Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" opened with $116.1 million two years ago. "Think Like a Man," which previously enjoyed two weekends atop the box office prior to the arrival of "The Avengers," was #3 over the weekend with $6.3 million. Based on the self-help book from comedian Steve Harvey, "Think" has earned $81.9 million against a reported budget of just $12 million. "The Hunger Games" was #4 with $4.4 million, for a domestic total of $386.9 million. "The Lucky One" was #5 with $4.1 million for a $53.7 million total. Fox Searchlight's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" did well with a modest expansion in theater counts, generating a healthy $2.7 million in 178 locations. "Girl in Progress" debuted with $1.4 million in 322 locations. Oscar winner "The Artist" went through one more expansion, in an apparent attempt to cash in on the Mother's Day holiday, but failed to generate new buzz with a paltry $214 per screen average. Next weekend, Sacha Baron Cohen will follow in Depp's footsteps as the next star to go up against "The Avengers," in his role as a fictitious world leader in "The Dictator." The big-budget action flick "Battleship" will also arrive as well as a bit of counter-programming in the form of "What to Expect When You're Expecting," featuring an ensemble that includes Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks and Anna Kendrick. Check out everything we've got on "Marvel's The Avengers," "Dark Shadows" and "The Hunger Games." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: 'The Avengers' Related Photos 'Avengers' Dark Shadows