Marvel Studios’ latest superhero entry, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, experienced a significant 60% decline in its third weekend at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $15.5 million.
This follows a disastrous second weekend that saw a 66% drop from its opening, bringing the film’s cumulative domestic earnings to $230.4 million as of August 10, 2025. Worldwide, the movie is approaching $430 million, with projections now estimating a final global tally between $490 million and $520 million.
Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
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While these figures represent an improvement over previous iterations of the Fantastic Four franchise (without taking pesky little factors like inflation and premium screen offerings into consideration), they fall short of expectations for a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film. Particularly an MCU film that was supposed to be a tentpole IP for the shared universe going forward.
Directed by Matt Shakman and starring Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, First Steps kicked off Phase Six of the MCU with a retro-futuristic aesthetic inspired by 1960s comics.
Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
The film opened on July 25, 2025, to a solid $117.6 million domestically, surpassing the debuts of earlier 2025 MCU releases like Captain America: Brave New World ($88.8 million) and Thunderbolts* ($74.3 million).
However, the momentum quickly faded. The second weekend brought in just $40 million, a steeper-than-anticipated 66% plunge that analysts attributed to front-loaded fan interest rather than broad appeal.
This third-weekend drop mirrors the film’s ongoing struggles, exacerbated by competition from new releases like Freakier Friday and Weapons (a film that was originally supposed to feature Pascal), as well as the loss of premium screens such as IMAX.
The Human Torch and Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Youtube, IGN
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Despite earning an A- CinemaScore from audiences—indicating strong word-of-mouth among those who saw it—the movie has failed to sustain ticket sales. Critics have been largely positive, with an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 64% on Criticless.
The Fantastic Four has long been a challenging property at the box office. The 2005 film grossed $330 million worldwide, followed by 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer at $301 million—respectable but not blockbuster-level hauls.
The Thing and Herbie the Robot in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
The 2015 reboot, Fant4stic, was a notorious flop, earning just $167 million globally against a $120 million budget. First Steps has already surpassed these totals domestically, also beating Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ entire $224.5 million U.S. run.
Yet, for a modern MCU tentpole, the film’s trajectory feels like a step back, especially in a year where Marvel has faced back-to-back disappointments with Brave New World (final global: $415.1 million) and Thunderbolts* ($382.4 million).
The Human Torch in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
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Industry observers point to several factors contributing to the drop. Erik Kain of Forbes argued that the Fantastic Four characters lack the cultural cachet of icons like Batman or Spider-Man, making it harder to draw casual viewers beyond die-hard Marvel fans. Of course, that didn’t hurt characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy, who achieved massive success at the box office despite being far more obscure than Marvel’s First Family.
The film’s steep declines—66% in week two and 60% in week three—contrast with more front-loaded successes like Spider-Man: No Way Home, which dropped 67.5% in its second weekend but started from a much higher $260 million base. Additionally, friendly fire from Disney’s own releases and a quiet August slate haven’t helped, though the lack of major competition could allow First Steps to limp toward $260-265 million domestically.
Comparison to DC’s Superman: A Tale of Better Legs
The struggles of The Fantastic Four: First Steps stand in stark contrast to DC Studios’ Superman, directed by James Gunn and released just two weeks earlier on July 11, 2025. Starring David Corenswet as the titular Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, the film opened to $125 million domestically—slightly ahead of First Steps—and has demonstrated much stronger staying power.
David Corenswet as Superman flying in James Gunn’s “Superman” – YouTube, DC
In its second weekend, Superman dropped a manageable 53% to $57.2 million, followed by a 56% decline to approximately $25 million in week three. By its fourth weekend (August 1-3), it added $13.855 million, a 44% hold, pushing its domestic cume to $316 million. As of August 8, 2025, Superman has grossed $326 million domestically and $570 million worldwide, on track to surpass $600 million globally.
This performance has already made it the highest-grossing superhero film of 2025, outpacing everything Marvel has thrown against it this year.
Implications for Marvel and the Superhero Genre
The underperformance of The Fantastic Four: First Steps raises tough questions for Marvel Studios as it heads toward 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. While the film has outperformed its predecessors and could yield a modest profit, its inability to maintain momentum despite strong initial buzz points to deeper issues. As Den of Geek noted, audiences may be craving innovation over reboots, even as nostalgia-driven hits like Deadpool & Wolverine prove the genre isn’t dead.
The cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
For now, First Steps serves as a cautionary tale. It proves positive scores and a fresh take aren’t always enough in a saturated market. As Marvel recalibrates, DC’s Superman demonstrates that timeless heroes with solid execution can still fly high.
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