The Fantastic Four: First Stepssadly continues a negativeMarvel Cinematic Universetrend set up by the franchise’s previous film. When I heard that the Fantastic Four were coming to the MCU, I was ecstatic. While there have been funFantastic Four moviesin the past,the definitive version of the team has only now come to the big screen.
The MCU’s first Fantastic Four movie is great from start to finish.The Fantastic Four: First Steps' post-credits sceneis also crucial to the franchise’s future,setting up the next two Avengers movies. Based on how Marvel Studios made them feel like a family and their powers shone onscreen, I thoughtThe Fantastic Four: First Stepswould be a hit.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps' budgetis reportedly $200 million. Based on that, we can know how much the movie needs to make to break even.The MCU’s Fantastic Four movie will be fine if it ends its worldwide run in the $400-500 million range. However, Marvel was looking at a profit with the Fantastic Four, which might not amount to much.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Box Office Just Took A Negative Turn
While DC is having one of its best years in a long time, withJames Gunn’s Superman movie topping all other superhero entries in 2025, Marvel Studios saw bothCaptain America: Brave New WorldandThunderboltsunderperform. Thankfully, the MCU’s latest movie is performing better than them, withThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsalready passingThunderbolts’s entire domestic box office.
However, that does not mean that the MCU movie is a hit. According to box office analystLuiz Fernando,The Fantastic Four: First Stepshad one of the worst second-weekend drops for an MCU movie. Marvel’s First Family ended its second weekend at the theatrical box office with $38.7 million, which leads to a -67.1% drop from its opening weekend.
Superhero movies, particularly Marvel entries, are known for being front-loaded at the box office. That means that a sizable portion of its theatrical returns come in the first few weeks. With such a major second weekend drop and how the MCU’s other 2025 movies performed, I find it hard to believe thatThe Fantastic Four: First Steps' legs will surprise.
The MCU’s Fantastic Four Movie & Thunderbolts* Form A Disappointing MCU Box Office Trend
When it comes to the MCU’s 2025 films, a tragic parallel can be traced betweenThunderboltsandThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. While theRotten Tomatoescritics' score forCaptain America: Brave New Worldsits at just 46%,Thunderbolts’s is higher, at 88%, while the MCU Fantastic Four movie is a little below it, at 86%.
Based on that, bothThunderbolts*andThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsreceived overwhelmingly positive reviewsfrom critics but did not elicit the same response in terms of box office returns. After the MCU dealt with many issues throughout the Multiverse Saga, I believe 2025 helped bring the franchise’s overall quality up, with releases like the two movies andDaredevil: Born Again.
So, to seeThunderbolts*andThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, two engaging movies that focus on new MCU teams, face box office trouble is disappointing.At least the MCU Fantastic Four movie is projected to cross the half-billion mark worldwide, being the only MCU film to do so in 2025, which offers some hope for future releases.
The MCU’s Upcoming Movies Could Break That Trend
I really thought thatThe Fantastic Four: First Stepswould be able to finish its global run in the $800 million range, which is not possible now that we know how it is performing in theaters. However,not everything is doom and gloom when it comes to the MCU’s movies. That is due to the franchise’s upcoming movie slate.
The MCU simply has two of its strongest box office franchises coming back next year. First will beSpider-Man: Brand New Day, the follow-up to Tom Holland’sSpider-Man: No Way Home, which grossed nearly $2 billion by the end of its run. Then, Marvel will release two movies from its biggest franchise, withAvengers: Doomsdayin 2026 andSecret Warsin 2027.
The MCU’s upcoming Avengers movies have also been delayed. Now,DoomsdayandSecret Warswill both be released in December of their respective release years. That is the same slot that led toSpider-Man: No Way Homebreaking box office records throughout its run.Despite the MCU’s box office woes, all three films seem poised to break $1 billion.
How Thunderbolts* And The Fantastic Four Could Still Get Sequels Despite The Box Office Trend
WhileThunderbolts*andThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsare not the most financially exciting releases in the MCU, I’m still confident that both franchises could return for sequels and do even better. The New Avengers — formerly Thunderbolts — and the Fantastic Four have beenconfirmed to return in the upcoming Avengers movies. The latter will be crucial due to Doctor Doom.
I believe thatthe superhero teams' presence in the Avengers movies, which are historically heavy hitters for the MCU, could boost their popularity, leading to bigger box office returns for sequels. Likewise, withThunderbolts*andThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsreleasing on digital, more people will watch the MCU entries, helping boost the franchises' return chances.
