After years of false starts and failed attempts, Marvel’s first family has finally found their footing at the box office. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” launched with an impressive $118 million from 4,125 North American theaters over the weekend. This surpassed industry expectations of $100-110 million. It has breathed new life into a franchise that Hollywood has struggled to crack for two decades.
The retro-futuristic adventure stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the iconic superhero quartet. It pulled in an additional $100 million internationally. This leads to a commanding global total of $218 million. Under Matt Shakman’s direction, the film follows Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing, and Human Torch. They battle a planet-devouring cosmic threat.
A Much-Needed Win for Marvel Studios
This strong opening couldn’t come at a better time for Marvel Studios. The studio has faced unprecedented challenges in maintaining its box office dominance in recent years. The studio has found success with familiar faces. These include “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” However, attempts to spotlight newer characters have stumbled badly. Even the well-reviewed “Thunderbolts*” earlier this year managed just $382 million globally. It marks one of the lowest-grossing entries in Marvel’s 37-film catalog.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has already mandated a shift toward fewer Marvel productions. These productions will be of higher quality. Audiences grew fatigued with the studio’s rapid-fire release strategy of interconnected films and TV shows.
Building on Solid Foundations
Unlike recent Marvel disappointments, “First Steps” benefits from genuinely positive word-of-mouth. The film boasts an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an encouraging “A-” CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences. With virtually no major competition on the horizon, the movie is well-positioned to maintain momentum.
The $200+ million production got a significant boost from premium formats, which accounted for an impressive 46% of ticket sales. IMAX alone contributed $16 million domestically—13.6% of the total haul—representing the second-highest market share ever for an MCU film. The audience skewed male (70%) with a strong youth component, as 42% of ticket buyers were under 25.
Breaking the Fantastic Four Curse
Hollywood’s relationship with the Fantastic Four has been complicated, to say the least. Previous 20th Century Fox adaptations in 2005 ($330 million globally) and 2007 ($301 million) were financial successes but critical disasters. The less said about 2015’s widely panned reboot starring Miles Teller and Kate Mara—which managed just $167 million worldwide—the better.
‘Fantastic Four’ was a modest and struggling superhero series. It just caught up with the biggest and the best,” notes analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
A Strong Year for Superheroes
“First Steps” ranks as 2025’s fourth-biggest domestic opening. It trails only “A Minecraft Movie” ($162 million), “Lilo & Stitch” ($146 million), and “Superman” ($125 million). Speaking of Superman, the DC hero slid to second place this weekend with $24.9 million—a 57% drop but still maintaining strong momentum with $289.5 million domestic and $502.7 million worldwide.
“‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Superman’ are performing extremely well,” Gross observes. “Superheroes are showing some swagger, and it’s good news for the industry.”
The Rest of the Field
Universal’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” held steady in third place with $13 million in its fourth weekend. Its global total now stands at an impressive $718 million. While strong, the Scarlett Johansson-led reboot still needs to climb higher to match the billion-dollar heights of its predecessors.
Apple’s “F1: The Movie” continued its surprisingly strong run in fourth place with $6.2 million, reaching $509 million worldwide—a remarkable achievement for an original, adult-oriented drama despite its massive $250 million production budget.
Rounding out the top five, Paramount’s animated “Smurfs” musical stumbled with $5.4 million, bringing its disappointing global total to just $69 million against a $58 million budget.
The weekend’s results suggest that audiences are hungry for well-crafted superhero entertainment—as long as it delivers on quality and spectacle. For Marvel Studios, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” represents not just a box office victory. It is proof that even previously troubled properties can find new life with the right creative approach.
