Superman Manages to (Barely) Fly By Fantastic Four: First Steps to Win the DC vs. Marvel Opening Weekend Showdown

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I’ve been following the box office battle between Marvel Studios and DC Studios this month. After the dust settled from their opening weekends, it appears that Superman has emerged victorious, although the victory is quite slim. In its inaugural weekend, Superman raked in an impressive $125 million domestically and a staggering $220 million globally. It narrowly outperformed The Fantastic Four: First Steps in both domestic and worldwide earnings – the Marvel film earned $117 million domestically and $216 million worldwide. The close margin is an intriguing indication of the ongoing friendly competition between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe, with only a few weeks left before they wrap up their theatrical runs.

On July 11th, Superman made its debut, setting a two-week lead over First Steps which started on Friday, July 25th. During their initial weekends, they were quite evenly matched, but Superman has since surpassed First Steps in total earnings. At the moment, the film is projected to have amassed $503.6 million in profits, almost twice its production cost of $225 million. Whether First Steps will reach the same level in two weeks remains to be seen, along with how long either movie will continue playing in cinemas.

Even though other movies may have been close in performance, Superman maintains a significant advantage – it boasts the largest opening weekend box office of 2025, trailing only A Minecraft Movie and Lilo & Stitch. This sets it apart from every other superhero film released this year, even Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*. Viewed from this angle, DC’s victory over Marvel appears more definitive.

In the past, both DC and Marvel have clashed at the box office, with an instance occurring in November of 2017. Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” was released concurrently with DC’s “Justice League.” However, unlike their previous encounters, this time “Thor: Ragnarok” outperformed expectations, earning $122.7 million over the weekend, while “Justice League” fell short of predictions, grossing only $93.8 million. This was unexpected as “Thor” offered a solo adventure, whereas “Justice League” was marketed as the first major team-up in the DC Extended Universe.

When it comes to these two movies, they’re quite different and comparing them is like trying to choose between apples and oranges. Most fans see them as separate entities, not as a competition. Regardless, the surge of interest in these films will positively impact the entire superhero genre. Even those who have only supported one franchise might eventually switch allegiance if they receive the right suggestion from a friend. Currently, both “Superman” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” are showing in cinemas.

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2025-07-29 01:10