LOS ANGELES — Marvel’s first family is back — and this time, they’re striking gold at the box office.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps”, the first iteration of the iconic superhero team produced under the direction of Kevin Feige and Disney, opened to an impressive $118 million in its domestic debut, playing in 4,125 theaters across North America, according to studio estimates released Sunday.
That puts the film at fourth place for biggest openings of the year, just behind “A Minecraft Movie,” “Lilo & Stitch,” and “Superman.” It also marks the biggest Marvel opening since last summer’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which launched with a massive $211 million. On the international stage, “Fantastic Four” brought in an additional $100 million from 52 markets, bringing its global opening weekend total to $218 million — right on target with studio expectations.
The strong debut comes shortly after another major superhero reboot: James Gunn’s “Superman,” which hit theaters three weeks ago and has already surpassed $500 million globally. “Superman” held strong in its fourth weekend, earning $24.9 million domestically and securing the No. 2 spot this weekend.
The recent success of both “First Steps” and “Superman” has sparked renewed optimism about the superhero genre’s longevity.
“The whole notion of superhero fatigue, which has been talked about a lot, can I think be put to rest,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “I always say it’s bad movie fatigue, not superhero fatigue.”
A Fresh Start for Marvel’s First Family
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the latest attempt to bring the beloved team to the big screen, following multiple previous versions that failed to impress. Set in a retro-futuristic 1960s timeline, the story centers on four astronauts who develop superhuman abilities after exposure to cosmic radiation during a mission in space.
The cast features Pedro Pascal as the elastic genius Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as the invisible and diplomatic Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as the fiery Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the rock-solid Ben Grimm, aka The Thing.
The film picks up four years after the team gains their powers — a period during which Reed’s inventions revolutionize technology and Sue’s leadership helps usher in a new era of peace.
Critics and audiences alike have embraced the film. It currently holds an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and exit polls from opening weekend suggest strong word-of-mouth. Notably, about 46% of viewers chose premium formats like IMAX or Dolby, a sign of solid demand.
A Comeback Moment for Marvel
Marvel has been working hard to restore momentum after a rocky few years. While “Deadpool & Wolverine” soared past $1.3 billion, other recent titles have underperformed compared to the studio’s earlier glory days.
“Captain America: Brave New World” struggled with critics and ended its run at $415 million worldwide, while “Thunderbolts” fared better critically but capped out around $382 million globally.
“First Steps” could mark a turning point. Much like “Deadpool and Wolverine,” the Fantastic Four franchise was previously under 20th Century Fox, which produced two films in the mid-2000s — critically panned but commercially okay — with Chris Evans famously playing Johnny Storm. The 2015 reboot starring Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller also flopped. The team returned to Marvel’s fold after Disney’s $71 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets in 2019.
While the film’s opening numbers were slightly below some rival forecasts, “it’s still expected to have strong legs through August,” noted Dergarabedian.
Box Office Rundown
Though “Fantastic Four” led the pack, holdovers dominated the top ten. One other newcomer, the dark romantic comedy “Oh, Hi!”, made a modest splash with $1.1 million from 866 screens.
“Jurassic World Rebirth” took third place in its fourth weekend with $13 million, followed by the Brad Pitt racing drama “F1” with $6.2 million, which has now surpassed $500 million globally. Rounding out the top five was “Smurfs,” earning $5.4 million in its second weekend.
Overall, the North American box office is up over 12% compared to the same period last year — a sign that, for now, moviegoers are still showing up when the right stories hit the screen.
