Superhero team The Avengers is proving almost as much of a hit in the toy aisle as it has at the box office.

With worldwide ticket sales of the action movie breaking the $1bn mark this week, retailers said Avengers items including action figures and role-play toys had performed well since the movie was released on 26 April.

“Avengers has started strongly for us, breathing new life into the action figures market,” said Tesco buying manager Phil Markham. Argos said Avengers had become one of its top-performing toy lines.

The range will grow in July when Character Options rolls out a range of 1:64 scale diecast metal vehicles and radio-controlled cars.