Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps is facing a harsh second weekend at the domestic box office, with early estimates placing its three-day total at 40 million dollars. This marks a substantial 66 percent decline from its opening weekend, positioning the film among the steepest second-weekend drops in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history. Despite retaining the top spot in North America, the drop signals potential concern for its long-term performance, particularly when compared to other recent superhero releases.
This installment in the Fantastic Four franchise arrived with heightened anticipation, largely due to its creative reinvention. Set in an alternate 1960s timeline and directed by Matt Shakman, the film features Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Julia Garner as the titular team, with Ralph Ineson appearing as the cosmic antagonist Galactus. With an A- CinemaScore and relatively strong audience feedback, expectations were high for sustained momentum. However, the film’s sharp second-weekend decline, paired with a frontloaded opening, suggests it may have already exhausted much of its initial audience interest.
Still, Fantastic Four: First Steps has managed to reach 198.4 million dollars in the United States in just ten days, surpassing the total domestic earnings of Thunderbolts and on track to exceed the 200 million dollar mark early this week. This achievement would make it the highest-grossing MCU film domestically in 2025, overtaking Captain America: Brave New World.
Internationally, the film added 39.6 million dollars in its second weekend, a 60 percent decline from its debut, bringing its overseas total to 170.3 million dollars across 53 markets. The combined global tally now stands at 368.7 million dollars. While the film is performing well in regions like Mexico, the United Kingdom, and France, it has struggled significantly in China, where it experienced a drastic 92.9 percent drop in its second weekend and has earned just 5.4 million dollars after ten days.
Comparatively, DC Studios’ Superman has continued to demonstrate impressive staying power. In its fourth weekend, the film earned 13.9 million dollars domestically, representing a 44.1 percent drop. Its U.S. total now stands at 316.2 million dollars, far surpassing Fantastic Four and maintaining a trajectory toward a domestic finish around 360 million dollars. Globally, Superman has amassed 551.2 million dollars, bolstered by strong performances in the U.K., Mexico, Brazil, and Australia.
While both films launched to considerable excitement, Fantastic Four: First Steps now finds itself trailing behind Superman not only in long-term sustainability but also in overall global traction. Projections for Marvel’s latest title suggest a global finish between 520 and 570 million dollars, falling short of the performance benchmark set by its DC counterpart.
With several weeks of theatrical play ahead, Fantastic Four still has the opportunity to stabilize, though it will likely need consistent weekday attendance and stronger international holds to reach the upper end of its global estimates. As the summer season continues, attention will now shift to how the film fares against upcoming competition and whether word of mouth can provide the lift it needs.
