Will Iron Man 2 be bigger than The Dark Knight?

When SPIDER-MAN 3 opened to $151 million in 2007 many wondered if that record could be beaten any time in the near future. One year later THE DARK KNIGHT beat that record with $158 million and many wondered if that record could be beaten any time in the near future. Two years later IRON MAN 2 is set to hit theaters and many are wondering if it has what it takes to beat THE DARK KNIGHT and earn the biggest opening weekend in history.

According to the LA Times, just-released tracking surveys show that IRON MAN 2 is pulling in some off-the-charts numbers that prove it might just be able to take the cake. They claim “astonishing levels of interest and awareness” about the film and not just among slap happy fanboys. Women in their 20s and 30s are tracking surprisingly high for the film, a surprise for a FX-driven superhero film. This is thanks in no small part to Robert Downey, Jr. whose appeal is so strong he’s dragging in all four quadrants (a term used to describe a movie that appeals to almost everyone: young, old, male and female).

What do you think? Are you more excited to see IRON MAN 2 than you were to see THE DARK KNIGHT? Do you have any plans to camp out to see the film on May 7? And if/when IRON MAN 2 beats the record, how much longer before that record gets beat? THE AVENGERS?