The summer movie season is set to start with a squad of superheroes.

The Avengers opens across the country Friday, and anyone who is a fan of the series knows it is packed with some of Marvel Comics’ best-known superheroes. But hours before those heroes' big summer premiere, some of their earlier adventures will be presented on the big screen locally.

Movies 278 in Hiram, like many Carmike Cinemas theaters across the country, will present Marvel Super Hero Movie Festival on Thursday—an afternoon and evening of four Marvel films that will lead up to the midnight premiere of The Avengers.

The marathon starts with Iron Man at 1 p.m., followed by Iron Man 2 at 3:45 p.m. Thor begins at 6:30, with Captain America: The First Avenger getting underway at 9:15.

The Avengers will begin at midnight, serving as the first opportunity to see the movie on its U.S. release day.

All five films are rated PG-13, and $35 will get you in to see all of them—that’s $7 per movie. But with a price like that and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these films in a row on the big screen, you should get your tickets before they're gone.

So who is brave enough to go through all five films? Will you be calling into work sick with “Avengeritis”? Tell us if you’re planning to attend.

If you go, be sure you take Dallas-Hiram Patch with you. Between films, you can use our iPhone or Android app to check out our news, business listings, weather forecasts and more. You also can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And if you haven’t done so, you can subscribe to our free daily newsletter.