After this past weekend, the "A" on Captain America's helmet might as well stand for "April."

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" set a new opening-weekend record for the month of April with an estimated $96.2 million. Not only was that enough to knock 2011's from April's pole position, but it was a 48 percent improvement over the launch of the same year.

The Captain America sequel, which features the World War II-era hero battling bad guys in modern day, benefited from what many observers are calling "the 'Avengers' bounce." Ever since "Iron Man" kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008, subsequent solo installments ("The Incredible Hulk," "Iron Man 2," "Thor" and the first "Captain America") all built toward the massive team-up film which is now the third-biggest movie ever.

"The Avengers" is the biggest superhero movie ever, the biggest comic book adaptation ever and ranks #2 for both IMAX and 3D. As a result of the concentrated comic style continuity between films, each subsequent solo outing has debuted much stronger than their respective predecessors. "Iron Man 3" was first out of the gate, playing in many ways like a sequel to "The Avengers." Even with a new director onboard in the form of Shane Black, passed every movie ever (except "The Avengers"!) with its astounding $174.1 million start. Shellhead's third solo flick eventually became the fifth-biggest movie ever overseas.

At 48 percent, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" has had the biggest post-Avengers bounce yet. "Iron Man 3" was up 36 percent from the previous installment. ...

He's back.

Damon Lindelof, one of the key creative minds behind the legendary "Lost," returns to television this year with "The Leftovers," a new high-concept series debuting on HBO in June. Based on Tom Perrotta's novel of the same name, "The Leftovers" takes place in a world where a significant portion of the population has suddenly upped and vanished — a mystery that may or may not be linked to the biblical rapture.

HBO debuted the first teaser trailer for "The Leftovers" following last night's , offering a first look at what the world looks like when two percent of the population mysteriously disappears without a trace.

"Two percent doesn't sound like much, but two percent of the entire planet — of every person on it — that's more than the world's 10 largest cities combined," a calm voice informs the viewer. "It's more than every death from every war in the 20th century. If every one of those people joined hands, they would wrap around the world six times. It's 140 million people."

"And like that — they were gone."

The teaser cuts to a woman calling out for her missing son, Sam, while we see other glimpses of how humanity is dealing with the sudden loss. Men and women walk along in unison, all clad in white, perhaps as some sort of cult inspired by the new world order. One woman brushes her teeth in a bathroom, staring at a message inscribed on the wall: "We are living reminders." Two people jump from a rooftop, presumably plummeting to their death.

Needless to ...

Well — what did you think?

Are you concerned for Arya Stark yet? Are you eager to see how Daenerys repays the Meereenese for the blatant brutality exhibited by the "mile markers" along the road? Are you as turned on by the Red Viper and his paramour as we are?

Those are just a few of our burning questions after watching the . Here are 11 more.

1. Was that really necessary, Tywin?
Okay, we get the fact that you have an "absurdly large" Valyrian sword at your disposal. We understand that it makes sense to make use of said sword now that it no longer has an owner. But melting down Ice into two swords, while practical, was absolutely heart-shattering for fans of the endangered House Stark. And that dire wolf on the flames — that was a step too far, even for cruel, calculated Tywin.

2. "Do you know how many people in King's Landing would love to see the King's head on a pike?"
A lot, Ser Jaime. A lot. Indeed, we can add Jaime to that list, given the way his son, er, nephew, taunted him about "the Kingslayer" and his various misdeeds as a member of the Kingsguard. If your own father, ahem, uncle can't even look upon you with fondness, then you know you're a loathsome son-of-a-what.

3. Why is Cersei so mad at Jaime?
Why is she so mad at her twin lover? Is she really upset that he "took too long" to break out of Stark captivity and return to King's Landing? That seems a bit ... much? It ...

Warning: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" spoilers are ahead!

Captain America has faced the Winter Soldier and lived to tell the tale. But what's next for the star-spangled super-soldier?

Well, we know what's next: Joss Whedon's superhero sequel hitting theaters next year. Chris Evans will be back slinging the shield as Steve Rogers in that film, and we can only guess how "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" will impact the "Avengers" sequel.

But what about rumored to arrive opposite in 2016? What can we expect to see in the third "Captain America" movie, based on how "The Winter Soldier" ends?

For one, we can count on more Winter Soldier. Even though he owns half of the movie's title, the brainwashed Bucky Barnes was more of a prop than a full-functioning character in the "Captain America" sequel. But by the end of the movie, his memories have been restored. He knows who he is, and he's on a mission to find out even more about how he became one of the deadliest spies the world has ever known.

We also know that Steve hasn't given up on his old friend. Black Widow supplies Steve with Russian intelligence that should shine more of a light on the Winter Soldier mystery. He's not alone, either. Sam "Falcon" Wilson signed on to help Steve's search for Bucky. The two are so tightly linked, that it wouldn't be surprising if the next movie is called "Captain America and the Falcon," just like the classic comics.

Then again, never forget about ...

"Game of Thrones" is back! And after the gut-wrenching Red Wedding last season, will the plucky denizens of Westeros ever be the same? Well, no, as we found out on "Two Swords."

The season premiere is one of the show's patented "check-in" episodes, introducing new conflicts and finding out what's up with old characters; but the good news is, it was a doozy. Everything has changed, the dragons are bigger and danger still lurks everywhere.

Here are all the biggest moments from this week's episode:

More Like Hot Open
Each season — just like the books the show is based on — has a cold open that sets up one of the main themes of the year. Here we see Tywin Lannister melting down Ned Stark's sword Ice into two new swords. It's a not so subtle reminder that the Starks have lost, Tywin has burned them down and the Lannisters have won. For now...

Hand Of The Kingslayer
Jaime went through the biggest changes last season, and now we get to see the consequence. He's got a new golden hand, a job as the head of the Kingsguard and a great friend in Brienne. But he's also got a father (Tywin) who wants him to leave for Casterly Rock, a sister/lover who hates him for leaving her alone and a nephew/King/son who mercilessly ridicules him for doing nothing with his life. Poor Jaime. What he does for love.

Enter The Viper
Our biggest new character is Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne. He gets a vastly different, sexposition heavy introduction here versus in ...

At long last, winter is back.

returns with its fourth season premiere tonight (April 6), reuniting viewers with all of their favorites from all across the Seven Kingdoms: tyrannical Tywin and his Lannister lions, Jon Snow and his fellow watchers on the wall, Daenerys Targaryen and her dragon-fueled army out in Essos, and so many more.

Having peeped the season premiere a little bit earlier than the rest of you, we feel very confident making the following predictions about your upcoming "Thrones" viewing experience:

1. The reason for the episode title, "Two Swords," will give you Red Wedding whiplash.

One Valyrian sword is cool, so two Valyrian swords must be really cool, right? Wrong. The two "new" Valyrian swords introduced in the season premiere are very uncool when you learn where they came from.

2. Prince Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne, will be your new favorite character this season.

Really, no one else will come close. Chilean actor Pedro Pascal brings the Red Viper to life with all of the hot-blooded passion and fury that drew in fans of the books on his first appearance. Chances are good you'll like the Red Viper's paramour, too. She's played by Indira Varma, late of "Rome" and "Luther." If nothing else, you'll really like their first scene together.

3. You won't recognize Daario Noharis.

That's because he's played by a new actor in season four. Gone are the days of Ed Skrein's luscious locks and arrogant attitude. Now, we live in the reign of Michiel Huisman as the Second Sons mercenary, ...

Warning: major spoilers for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" are ahead.

Virtually all S.H.I.E.L.D. employees who aren't dead or under arrest are looking for new jobs this weekend. But not Steve Rogers. The super-soldier remains super-employed as one of Earth's mightiest heroes.

Following Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Chris Evans will be right back as Cap in one year, taking center stage in next summer's The superhero sequel sees Rogers reuniting with billionaire playboy philanthropist Tony Stark, occasional giant green rage monster Bruce Banner, thunder-juiced Asgardian warrior Thor, and eagle-eyed sharpshooter Clint Barton.

On top of that, "Age of Ultron" will bring the key "Winter Soldier" duo of Rogers and Natasha Romanoff back together. At the end of the "Captain America" sequel, the two parted ways, with Black Widow deciding to work on a new cover, now that all her previous aliases and classified information has been revealed alongside the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. Cap, meanwhile, sets off with his new pal Sam "Falcon" Wilson to track down the missing Winter Soldier, now active with his old Bucky Barnes memories.

What new side of Black Widow will we see once she resurfaces in "Avengers" from her post-"Winter Soldier" mission? And will Cap be any closer to finding Bucky when the Avengers assemble against Ultron? And will he bring Falcon along for the fun? We certainly hope so — if "Winter Soldier" proved anything, it's that all Marvel movies could use some Anthony Mackie.

There's also the question of Nick Fury. The former S.H.I.E.L.D. director isn't just ...

Wondering when J.J. Abrams will finally get started on "Star Wars: Episode VII," given the dearth of news surrounding the project? Turns out, it's already started shooting.

Speaking with a crowd at the Loyola Marymount School of Film and Television in Los Angeles, Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn dropped a few surprising details about the space-bound sequel.

"We're actually shooting some of it now," Horn said when asked whether filming would begin in May, as expected based on previous comments from director Abrams

This lines up with recent rumors that the film has already started shooting in Cairo, Egypt. It's possible that what Horn might be referring to is second unit shooting, grabbing location shots and B-roll for use in effects-heavy pieces; rather than having a cast on set. But he was mum on any further details of the shoot.

There are two other elements that make this news surprising: we haven't had a formally announced cast; and as far as we knew, the script wasn't done yet.

"It's actually there now," Horn said when asked if the screenplay was finished. "It's all about the screenplay. It has to be screenplay, screenplay, screenplay."

The script is co-written by J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a previous draft written by "Toy Story 3" writer Michael Arndt. Though this also hasn't been confirmed, the script reportedly concerns the three original "Star Wars" actors — Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford — passing the torch to three members of the younger generation.

Horn also confirmed that the movie will take place 35 years after ...