The God of Thunder reigned at the North American box office as Thor became the latest Marvel comic book superhero to leap to the big screen.

According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, Thor sold about $66 million worth of tickets during its first three days of release across the United States and Canada.

The opening was in line with industry forecasts in the $60 million to $70 million range, and marked a strong start for a non-sequel and for the lucrative summer movie-going period.

But it fell far short of openings by the first installments of other movies in the Marvel stable, such as 2002's Spider-Man ($115 million) and 2008's Iron Man ($99 million). Somewhat ominously, it barely exceeded the $62 million start for Hulk in 2003, the first of two failed attempts to turn the angry green man into a movie franchise.

Last weekend's North American champion, Fast Five, slipped to No. 2 with $32.5 million, but it replaced Thor as the top choice overseas. The fifth installment in the street-racing series earned $87 million internationally, ahead of Thor with $46 million. Their respective foreign totals stand at $185 million and $176 million.

Starring Chris Hemsworth in the title role, Thor was directed by British actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh, best known for his deft handling of Shakespearean material.

Critics generally approved of the movie, and movie-goers polled by the survey firm CinemaScore gave it a solid B-plus rating, according to Paramount. Men accounted for almost two thirds of the audience.

The North American total for Fast Five rose to $140 million after two weekends, quickly making the film the biggest release of the year so far. The title was formerly held by the animated Rango, which has earned $120 million to date.

Two other new releases, both wedding-themed comedies targeted at women, entered the fray in North America.

Jumping the Broom opened at No. 3 with $13.7 million, doubling its $6.6 million production cost. Something Borrowed followed at No. 4 with $13.2 million. Both were expected to open in the $11 million range.