For all the talk of superhero fatigue, recent box office numbers suggest the genre may still have plenty of life left. While the disappointing openings of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts seemed to signal the genre’s decline, both Superman and now Fantastic Four: First Steps have opened solidly. In fact, Fantastic Four looks to be matching Superman’s launch from just two weeks ago, with early Deadline reports projecting a $120–125 million debut.
I’ll admit it—my predictions were off by about $30 million. I genuinely thought releasing two major superhero films so close together was a mistake, but audiences don’t seem to mind.
For some context: the first Fantastic Four film (the 2005 version) opened to $56 million, with its 2007 sequel pulling in $58 million. The ill-fated Josh Trank version managed only $25.6 million in 2015. So this new film’s debut is a major leap forward for the notoriously troubled franchise.
That said, even a $125 million opening isn’t quite the juggernaut figure Marvel routinely hit during its peak years. Still, there’s clearly appetite left for these characters. Perhaps upcoming tentpoles like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars will catapult the franchise back into the stratosphere.
Fantastic Four received a solid (if not spectacular) A– CinemaScore—on par with Superman, Ballerina, and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Among summer releases, F1 is the only non-animated movie to earn an “A” range score.
No word yet on how Superman is holding in its third week, but it’s well on track to surpass $300 million domestically—a strong showing for DC. However, James Gunn has expressed disappointment in its international performance, citing the current global political climate as a factor.
Are you planning to see Fantastic Four this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
