Marvel’s ‘Ant-Man’ proves to be a superhero at the box office

What Marvel’s latest big-screen comic book hero lacks in size, it makes up for in box office pull.

The Disney-owned studio’s new action-comedy “Ant-Man” led the Friday box office after raking in an estimated $22.6 million.

Starring Paul Rudd as the titular, shrinking hero, Marvel’s latest adaptation has been a bit of a gamble.

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While the studio has launched numerous juggernaut franchises based on its beloved comics, “Ant-Man” is relatively unknown compared with titles such as “X-Men,” “Iron Man,” “Captain America” or “The Avengers.”

The film also had a bumpy launch, with the surprise exit of director Edgar Wright during pre-production (Peyton Reed replaced him).

Analysts originally projected the film would debut at $60 million to $65 million through Sunday, but Saturday estimates show the film coming in under $60 million.

Also off to a strong start is “Trainwreck,” Amy Schumer’s R-rated flick.

The Judd Apatow-directed raunchy rom-com, which marks the comedian-du-jour’s debut as a big-screen lead, took in $10.7 million.

Schumer, who also wrote the film’s screenplay, scored seven Emmy nominations for her Comedy Central hit “Inside Amy Schumer.”

Follow me on Twitter: @gerrickkennedy.

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