Concerns have grown among Marvel fans about whether Fantastic Four: First Steps is a flop. The film saw sharp box office drops following its opening weekend. Let’s break down the numbers and the industry context to understand its performance. While the movie started strong, rapid declines in the second and third weekends have raised questions about its staying power. Additionally, major competitors are dominating the box office, making the environment tougher than Marvel anticipated.
Box Office Performance of Fantastic Four: First Steps
Fantastic Four: First Steps had a strong start, earning $216M globally during its opening weekend. However, the film saw a steep decline in the following weeks. It dropped 66% in its second weekend and another 60% by the third weekend as of mid-August. Despite these drops, the current worldwide total stands at $468.7, with $247,037,549 (52.7%) from domestic markets and $221,700,000 (47.3%) from international audiences. While these numbers look impressive on paper, Disney and Marvel had higher expectations due to the franchise’s hype and the heavy marketing investment.
How Does It Compare to Other Marvel Releases?
Other 2025 Marvel films also experienced steep second-weekend drops:
- Captain America: Brave New World fell 68%
- Thunderbolts dropped 56%
This shows that underperformance is not unique to Fantastic Four: First Steps, but reflects a broader trend affecting major Marvel releases this year.
Budget, Profitability, and Financial Expectations
Reported budget: $200M+ (Variety)
Typically, blockbuster films must make 2.5x their budget to break even, accounting for marketing and distribution costs. Therefore, Fantastic Four First Steps needs at least $500M to recover its expenses.
- Current worldwide total: $468.7M
- Likely to cross $500M in the next few months – but only just
By this standard, the film will not be a flop, yet Marvel/Disney may hesitate to call it a major success unless it surpasses $700M worldwide.
Why Is Fantastic Four: First Steps Underperforming?
Several factors are contributing to the film’s relative struggles:
- Competition – Released alongside Weapons, The Bad Guys 2, Freakier Friday, and Superman 2025, which is already the year’s top superhero movie with $594M worldwide.
- Market Appeal – Fantastic Four historically performs weaker in Asian markets, limiting international box office potential.
- Superhero Fatigue – Audiences are becoming selective after numerous superhero films, with only standout releases like Deadpool and Wolverine achieving consistent success.
- Theater Economics – Rising ticket and concession prices due to inflation, combined with streaming alternatives like Disney+, have impacted attendance.
- Global Decline – U.S. superhero films are seeing larger drops in China and other international markets compared to previous years.
Moreover, marketing and franchise familiarity play a role. While the Fantastic Four are iconic in comic books, they lack the cinematic presence of characters like Spider-Man or Iron Man, making it harder to generate sustained buzz among casual audiences.
While Fantastic Four: First Steps will avoid being a financial flop, it is shaping up as a box office underperformer, particularly when compared to expectations and its direct rival, Superman 2025.
In conclusion, the film’s performance highlights industry-wide trends such as superhero fatigue, strong competition, and changing audience behavior, rather than being a failure of the franchise itself. With time, the Disney+ release and merchandise sales may still boost its overall profitability.
Stay tuned for the latest updates on MCU’s upcoming projects, and subscribe to Marvel Updates’ YouTube channel.
