Yesterday, the official release of Marvel Studios' "Iron Man 2" kicked off internationally with the John Favreau-directed, Robert Downey, Jr.-starring superhero sequel debuting in six European countries including France, Norway and Sweden. What that means is that aside from the fact that audiences will get to see how their expectations for the heavily-promoted movie play out on screen, the traditional game of box office receipt counting can start in full effect, and The Hollywood Reporter has the first news of the film's dollar draw.

After its first night in its first markets, "Iron Man 2" has pulled down $2.2 million from 960 theaters. In the story, distributor Paramount touted the fact that that number came in 11% above the comparative opening for the first installment of Tony Stark's big screen adventures. Paramount also noted that the original opening came on a holiday weekend, meaning they expect the 11% increase to be just the tip of the iceberg for what "Iron Man 2" can do.

All eyes remain on Marvel these days as the Studio's aggressive release schedule will ramp up over the next two years to lead to "The Avengers" starring the biggest superheroes from the company's other upcoming solo superhero movies like "Thor" and "The First Avenger: Captain America." While a big opening for "Iron Man 2" should help justify Marvel's grand scheme, a more tepid turnout could equally cast doubt as to how long the superhero trend will rule the box office.

Check out The Hollywood Reporter for more, and be sure to remain tapped into CBR and Spinoff Online for all the news and reaction surrounding "Iron Man 2."