'Avengers' 3D glasses get custom treatment

As a way to entice more moviegoers into 3D theaters for The Avengers, Marvel will offer custom 3D glasses this spring, featuring designs for four of the main superheroes in the film -- Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Hulk.

The wraparound frame shapes and color coordination are inspired by the superhero's look and the special specs will be available for purchase at $5 each.

Since film studios will no longer be subsidizing the cost of free glasses for audiences to use in the theater, cinemas must foot the bill of recycling the 3D frames.

For the re-release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, LucasFilms will offer special 3D "pod-racer goggle" frames to the first fans to buy tickets on opening weekend, February 8-10, while supplies last at the AMC theater chain in the US.

Will Spider-Man and Superman 3D glasses follow? Since The Dark Knight Rises is not in 3D, there will not be any Dark Knight or Bane frames.

Marvel's The Avengers stars Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson.

The Avengers opens in the UK and European markets, Hong Kong and Brazil on April 25-27 and rolls out in Russia, Australia, India and North America May 1-4.