The Marvel Comics superhero adventure sets up next summer's all-star blockbuster "The Avengers." Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the eighth and final installment in the boy-wizard franchise, dropped to the second spot.

It made just over $48 million in its second weekend for a domestic total of $274.1 million. Don Harris, head of distribution for Paramount, said "Captain America" exceeded expectations. He figured it would do the same sort of business as "X-Men: First Class," which opened with $55.1 million in June.