There are also plans for Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and Captain America 2.

The chief executive of Disney, Bob Iger, announced yesterday, during the company's second quarter earnings webcast, that sequels for each of the Marvel films are in development.

Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 are set for a 2013 release and Captain America 2 will hit the big screen in 2014. No date was given for a sequel to The Avengers.

Speaking of the success of The Avengers at the box office so far, Iger commented: "Talking about the film's success, Iger said: "It's a great illustration of why we like Marvel so much - great characters, great storytelling and a wonderful ability for them to bring their characters and stories to the big screen so effectively."