Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps has debuted to an A- CinemaScore, signaling a strong response from moviegoers. This marks the highest audience rating ever received by a Fantastic Four film, surpassing the B grades of the 2005 and 2007 entries, as well as the C- score given to the 2015 reboot. The film’s positive reception follows its record-breaking preview night performance, where it generated 24.4 million dollars on Thursday alone, surpassing the 22.5 million dollar combined total for Superman‘s Tuesday and Thursday previews earlier this year. Industry projections now suggest that First Steps could reach an opening weekend total north of 130 million dollars.
The A- grade places First Steps among a select group of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) entries that have earned similar or higher scores from CinemaScore, a service that surveys audience reactions on opening night. The film becomes the 11th MCU entry to achieve an A- or better rating since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021. It also signifies the first time in nearly four years that Marvel Studios has received consecutive A-range scores; Deadpool & Wolverine also scored an A earlier this month. This signals a potential course correction for the studio, which had experienced a run of mixed audience responses in recent years.
In the broader context of superhero cinema in the post-pandemic era, First Steps is in good company. It joins Black Widow, The Batman, Thunderbolts, and Superman among films to earn an A- score. Only six superhero films released since early 2021 have done better, with Spider-Man: No Way Home being the only one to earn a rare A+ rating. First Steps is one of only a few post-COVID comic book films to avoid falling into the B or lower tiers, where most recent genre films have landed.
Directed by Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the 37th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first installment in its Phase Six lineup. The film is a second reboot of the beloved Marvel team, featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn in the lead roles. Set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s, the film follows the team as they confront the planet-devouring entity Galactus, portrayed by Ralph Ineson. Supporting cast includes Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and others.
