Godzilla has basically had free reign over the box office since it stormed its way towards $200m+ in the global box office, and that’s without China and Japan – a huge market, especially for this particular franchise – still to come. But with X-Men: Days of Future Past set for release this Thursday, that ‘biggest opening’ mantle is set to be a short-lived one.

Days of Future Past

Back in 2006, The Last Stand pulled in $102m - $10m more than Godzilla’s debut weekend and that was 8 years ago. 3 years before that, X2: Z-Men United grabbed a very healthy $85m on opening weekend. 

More: watch the trailer for 'X-Men: Days of Future Past here'

A number of factors will combine to make X-Men: Days of Future Past the biggest X-Men opening of all time, and a contender for biggest opener of the year. Screenrant say $125m is a realistic prospect but – with strong reviews rolling in and the presence of Jennifer Lawrence, whose career has magnified tenfold since her last appearance in the franchise – we’d suggest $140m is closer to the mark. 

More: check out the trailer for 'Godzilla'

Days of Future Past is coming out on May 20-22 in all but 7 countries, so we’ll get a pretty solid idea of its worldwide popularity on Monday. 

But all this isn’t to say Godzilla hasn’t been a success in its own right. With Gareth Edwards taking on the tricky task of rebooting the perennially rebooted super-monster, he did well to fight his way to a strong critical reception and a highly respectable box office opening. 

More: With Bryan Singer Back in the Saddle, X-Men Franchise Thrives Again

In fact, Warner Bros. and Legendary are already working on a sequel, partly because they want to capitalise on the film’s success, but partly as a marketing tool, lodging the Godzilla name in peoples’ heads and convincing them that this isn’t a flash in the pan – ‘go see this movie’, they’re whispering.  

Bryan CranstonBryan Cranston stars in Godzilla