Daily English Article — August 5, 2026

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has once again rewritten box office history. 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' the 38th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, opened to a staggering $360 million domestically, overtaking 'Avengers: Endgame's' $357 million record set in 2019. To contextualize the achievement, the third- and fourth-largest opening weekends — 'No Way Home' and 'Infinity War' — each earned roughly $100 million less, yet both became among the highest-grossing films of all time.

Globally, 'Brand New Day' collected $932 million in just three days of release, putting it on a trajectory to cross $1 billion at a near-record pace. Feige credited director Destin Daniel Cretton, star Tom Holland, producer Amy Pascal, and Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman for the film's extraordinary performance. Feige described the Monday morning realization of what they had achieved as 'overwhelming, frankly, in the very best way,' reflecting genuine surprise at surpassing a benchmark he did not expect to be broken.

The film follows Peter Parker in the aftermath of 'No Way Home,' where he erased his identity from the world to protect the multiverse. Now operating without his closest friends — played by Zendaya and Jacob Batalon — Parker faces a mysterious new threat to New York City. Actress Sadie Sink, making her grand MCU debut, is connected to this enigmatic antagonist, adding a fresh dynamic to the story that has resonated powerfully with audiences worldwide.

Feige reflected on the evolving history of opening weekend milestones, noting that Sam Raimi's original 'Spider-Man' was the first film to surpass $100 million in a single weekend. Subsequent records fell with 'Spider-Man 3,' 'The Avengers,' and finally 'Endgame.' He acknowledged that after several stagnant years for theatrical exhibition — partly due to the lingering effects of COVID-19 — he genuinely doubted those heights could be surpassed, making the new record all the more remarkable and meaningful.

The record-breaking debut also carries significant implications for Marvel's upcoming release. 'Avengers: Doomsday,' an epic crossover event scheduled for December, now arrives on an enormous wave of momentum. The success of 'Brand New Day' reaffirms audience appetite for large-scale Marvel storytelling and demonstrates the enduring commercial power of the Spider-Man franchise. Feige cited the foundational work of creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko as ultimately underpinning the character's remarkable and sustained popularity across generations.

At a preview event for the Gooding Christie's Pebble Beach auction held in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, one vehicle captured universal attention despite being positioned behind far more prestigious machines. Among Ferraris, Maseratis, and classic Porsches, it was a 1979 Mercedes-Benz 280TE station wagon that every attendee agreed was the most compelling lot on offer. The car's extraordinary backstory — spending nearly four decades sealed inside an Italian garage — has made it arguably the most valuable W123-series Mercedes-Benz ever to come to auction.

The 280TE's remarkable preservation stems from an equally remarkable sequence of events. Its original Italian owner purchased the car new in 1979, specifying almost every available factory option and taking delivery directly from the manufacturer. After driving it for only a few months, he parked it in his garage in Avellino, a small town near Naples. In 1980, a catastrophic earthquake struck the region, triggering a landslide that physically trapped the car inside the structure — yet, astonishingly, left the vehicle entirely undamaged.

The wagon remained entombed in the collapsed garage from 1980 until 2018, when it was finally extracted. At the time of its discovery, the car had not even been officially registered. It emerged in completely original, unrestored condition, showing just 3,790 miles on its odometer. Since its recovery, the vehicle has been maintained by the respected Scott Grundfor Company, which performed only essential mechanical upkeep and replaced critical safety components, deliberately preserving the car's extraordinary state of originality rather than undertaking any cosmetic restoration.

The visual impact of the car is difficult to overstate. Its discontinued Nickel Green exterior paint — a color no longer available after 1979 — remains flawless. The interior, finished in Moss Green MB-Tex and Blue-Green cloth with full green carpeting, extends even to the rear-facing third-row seats, creating a breathtaking time-capsule effect. The combination of the rare color specification, the impeccable condition, and the singular provenance has generated intense interest far beyond what a standard, well-preserved W123 would typically command at auction.

Gooding has listed the 280TE without a reserve and placed a pre-sale estimate of $130,000 to $160,000 — figures that many observers believe significantly undervalue the car given its unique circumstances. The auction house itself acknowledges this could become the most expensive W123 ever sold. With the right combination of motivated bidders in the room at Pebble Beach, seasoned collectors and market watchers anticipate the hammer price could climb substantially beyond the published estimate, reflecting the near-impossibility of finding another example in comparable condition.