Marvel’s “Fantastic Four: First Steps” Lands Atop the Weekend Box Office

Fantastic Four: First Steps, the MCU’s latest live-action offering, debuted atop the weekend box office. However, certain fans were hoping for bigger numbers.

Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular team of superheroes, Fantastic Four: First Steps opened to an estimated $180 million at the domestic box office this weekend. The current international haul is $100 million.

While that’s a lot of money, we have to remember that Hollywood is a business where profit matters. Not only that, but the DC vs. Marvel debate is ongoing, and FF: First Steps came in lower than Superman‘s approximately $125 million domestic opening. So, yeah, understandably, the DC fandom is quite happy with the current victory.

As for the international numbers, they have helped FF: First Steps collect almost $218 million worldwide. Against a reported production budget of $200 million, that’s not bad. According to analysts, the breakeven point for FF: First Steps is $500 million. It will be interesting to see when FF: First Steps will pass that milestone, especially while competing with Superman.

James Gunn’s superhero movie has collected an estimated $502 million globally. The breakeven point is said to be $550 million. While the movie does seem capable of crossing that point, the fact remains that the overall box office performance has been quite soft. Again, Hollywood is in the business of turning a profit, not just meeting breakeven points, especially when dealing with movies with incredibly high production and marketing budgets.

No matter how you want to spin it (due to possible fan bias), the international numbers for Superman just aren’t strong, standing at $213 million against $289 million domestic.

The upcoming week will provide us with a clear picture of how FF: First Steps does internationally. There is a concern that both FF: First Steps and Superman will perform similarly. Are global audiences not interested in Superman and the Fantastic Four? I mean, the FF I can understand, but losing interest in freaking Superman? Wow!

There’s a lot of talk about the audience suffering from superhero fatigue. However, I still feel that FF: First Steps and Superman weren’t the best litmus tests due to both movies having certain storytelling issues and a lack of action sequences. They ended up being the type of movies I won’t be rewatching anytime soon. That’s why I think the superhero fatigue debate will stick around and will possibly be laid to rest if the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday fails to perform well.

Another argument is the increasing ticket prices. But then again, the numbers show that international audiences are still interested in going to the movies. Jurassic World: Rebirth continues to print money at the box office. The global haul is around $718 million, with an estimated $418 million from non-US markets.

Coming back to FF: First Steps, you can see my quick review in the video below. Directed by Matt Shakman, the movie felt rushed, needed more action, and had certain storytelling issues.

July 25 – July 27, 2025 Weekend Box Office:

1. Fantastic Four: First Steps – $118 million
2. Superman – $24.8 million
3. Jurassic World Rebirth – $13 million
4. F1 – $6.2 million
5. Smurfs – $5.4 million
6. I Know What You Did Last Summer – $5.1 million
7. How to Train Your Dragon – $2.8 million
8. Eddington – $1.6 million
9. Oh Hi – $1.1 million
10. The Home – $1 million

For those curious, Oh Hi is a romantic comedy starring Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman. The Home is a psychological thriller with Pete Davidson.

What did you think of Fantastic Four: First Steps?

Let us know.

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(via Box Office Mojo, Beyond the Trailer)

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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