- preg_replace: documentation ( source)
<?php
$str = "Enter Marvel.com, the best place to connect with other fans and get news about comics' greatest super-heroes: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the X-Men, and more.";
echo html_entities_decode($str);
echo "<br>";
echo preg_replace("/&#?[a-z0-9]+;/i","",$str);