Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel Studios’ latest cinematic reboot, launched to an impressive $118 million in the United States during its opening weekend. While this marks one of the stronger domestic debuts for a superhero film post-COVID, the film’s global rollout paints a more mixed picture, with key international markets such as China and Japan yielding softer results than anticipated.
The film’s domestic launch exceeded many industry forecasts, placing it fourth among the year’s biggest opening weekends, trailing only Minecraft, Lilo and Stitch, and Superman. It also marks the sixth-largest domestic debut for an MCU film since 2020, just behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and ahead of Thor: Love and Thunder. With a 3-day total of $118 million and a further $100 million from international markets across 53 territories, the film’s global opening has reached a combined $218 million.
This performance puts Fantastic Four: First Steps ahead of other recent Marvel titles such as Eternals ($162M), Thunderbolts ($160.5M), and Captain America: Brave New World ($180.9M). However, it still falls slightly behind Superman ($220M) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($225.3M), despite similar production budgets estimated at around $200 million, excluding marketing.
Domestically, the film outpaced its predecessors significantly. It surpassed the entire box office run of the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, which closed with just $56.1 million, in a single weekend. Industry projections suggest that by the end of its first full week, the film will likely surpass the lifetime earnings of both Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) and the original Fantastic Four (2005), thus becoming the highest-grossing U.S. release for the franchise to date.
However, not all territories have embraced the film equally. In China, the film opened to a modest 31.7 million yuan, or approximately $4.5 million. Analysts have noted that this figure is 32 percent lower than the Chinese debut of Superman, which itself underwhelmed in the region. Daily earnings also suggest limited traction, with a 5 percent drop from Friday to Saturday and figures that lag far behind other superhero entries such as The Marvels and Captain America 4.
Japan showed a similar lack of enthusiasm. Over the July 25 to 27 weekend, Fantastic Four: First Steps earned just $1.9 million. It ranked below several domestic releases, including Stigmatized Properties 2 and Kamen Rider Gavv. The Japanese market was dominated by Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which earned $19 million over the same period, bringing its cumulative total to nearly $86 million in Japan alone.
Directed by Matt Shakman and set in an alternate 1960s backdrop, Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces a new ensemble cast led by Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby. The film also stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, and Ralph Ineson as the world-consuming villain Galactus. Critics have praised its fresh stylistic direction, and audiences responded favorably with an A- CinemaScore, marking the highest rating a Fantastic Four film has ever received.
While the international market response remains a concern, particularly in Asia, the film’s strong U.S. reception and healthy word of mouth may sustain momentum in the weeks ahead. With solid domestic performance and moderate global returns, Fantastic Four: First Steps has taken a promising, if imperfect, first leap forward for Marvel’s Phase Six.
