Despite having a rich history in Marvel Comics, the Fantastic Four have had a less than impressive run on the big screen. The initial blockbuster released in 2005, disregarding the infamous 1994 film, garnered over $300 million at the box office against a budget of $87.5 million, but it was met with mixed reviews and sales didn’t escalate for Tim Story’s Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer, which followed in 2007. Critics were equally unimpressed with this sequel. As for the 2015 film directed by Josh Trank, it’s probably best to forget about that one.
After regaining control of the Fantastic Four franchise, Marvel is ushering in a new era. Although Marvel Studios has had some ups and downs in recent times compared to their previous successes like the Infinity Saga, Matt Shakman’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is shaping up to be a significant success just three days into its release. The initial box office numbers for the 2025 film’s opening weekend are in, and it quickly claimed the top spot domestically, pushing James Gunn’s “Superman” down a notch. Feel free to review the complete Top 10 below and join me later for discussion and analysis.
| TITLE | WEEKEND GROSS | DOMESTIC GROSS | LW | THTRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps* | $118,000,000 | $118,000,000 | N/A | 4,125 |
| 2. Superman | $24,860,000 | $289,502,000 | 1 | 3,390 |
| 3. Jurassic World: Rebirth | $13,000,000 | $301,5516,000 | 2 | 3,550 |
| 4. F1 | $6,200,000 | $165,552,000 | 5 | 2,615 |
| 5. Smurfs | $5,400,000 | $22,787,000 | 4 | 3,504 |
| 6. I Know What You Did Last Summer | $5,100,000 | $23,552,000 | 3 | 3,206 |
| 7. How To Train Your Dragon | $2,800,00 | $257,008,000 | 6 | 2,346 |
| 8. Saiyaara | $1,800,000 | $1,800,000 | 12 | 3,650 |
| 9. Eddington | $1,664,893 | $8,104,585 | 7 | 2,065 |
| 10. Oh, Hi!* | $1,115,000 | $1,115,000 | N/A | 866 |
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Fittingly Had The Fourth Best Domestic Debut Of 2025 This Weekend
For approximately two years, from May 2017 (when James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” was released) to April 2019 (with the arrival of Joe and Anthony Russo’s “Avengers: Endgame”), Marvel Studios consistently achieved nine-figure opening weekends for their films. Out of the eight blockbusters they produced during this period, only one – Peyton Reed’s “Ant-Man And The Wasp” – failed to earn more than $100 million domestically in its first three days at the box office.
Contrarily, accomplishing such a feat has become notably harder as of late, with Shawn Levy’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” being the sole title to manage it since Nia DaCosta’s “The Marvels” debuted in late 2023. However, the impressive opening weekend performance by “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” stands out even more given these circumstances.
Although neither Julius Onah’s “Captain America: Brave New World” nor Jake Schreier’s “Thunderbolts*” (also known as “The New Avengers”) didn’t create much of a stir at the box office when they were released in mid-February and early May, the most recent film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe earned $118 million over the past three days, as reported by The Numbers.
This blockbuster has had an exceptionally strong opening weekend this year, surpassing Gareth Edwards’ “Jurassic World: Rebirth” which made $92 million earlier in March. Only Jared Hess’ “A Minecraft Movie”, Dean Fleischer Camp’s “Lilo & Stitch”, and “Superman” have had more impressive debuts in 2025. Furthermore, it has set a new record for the biggest domestic start for any “Fantastic Four” movie, surpassing the previous record held by “Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer”.
The upcoming movie titled “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” reportedly costing $200 million (as per Variety), is currently not only the most expensive film featuring the iconic team ever made, but also on track to become one of the most successful theatrically. Back in 2005, Tim Story’s “Fantastic Four” grossed approximately $333.1 million worldwide, and the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe title has already earned an impressive $218 million globally. This means it has already surpassed the earnings of the 2015 Fantastic Four film ($167.8 million), and is expected to outdo the $289.5 million made by “Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer” within the next week.
Although I didn’t particularly enjoy Fantastic Four: First Steps, based on my TopMob review, the movie has garnered a generally favorable response. Critics appreciate its comfortable and futuristic-yet-retro feel, while opening weekend viewers gave it an “A-” rating in CinemaScore polls. This positive buzz will be crucial for its success during August, as it needs to sustain itself given the film’s substantial budget.
Over the next weekend, I find myself facing a noteworthy test: Marvel Studios’ films have been encountering some substantial hurdles in terms of maintaining viewership from one weekend to another after their initial releases, and there’s a potential rivalry set to debut on Friday that could make things even tougher.
Superman Crosses Yet Another Box Office Milestone Despite Direct Competition From Fantastic Four
It was widely anticipated that the release of “Fantastic Four: First Steps” would considerably influence the box office earnings of “Superman.” Since the same fanbase eagerly awaiting the silver screen debut of the DC Universe has also been yearning for Marvel Studios to produce a Fantastic Four film, it’s no wonder at all that interest is being diverted.
As a passionate cinephile, I must admit that even three weekends into its release, James Gunn’s latest masterpiece continues to sizzle at the box office. Over the past few days, it raked in approximately $100 million less than its opening weekend haul, but it didn’t let up, earning an additional $24.9 million in the U.S., maintaining its strong position as the runner-up. What’s more, this blockbuster has just crossed another significant milestone – surpassing the $500 million mark worldwide. In my previous column, I highlighted that the film had already grossed $400 million globally; today, I’m thrilled to report that it has exceeded expectations yet again!
In the U.S. and Canada, Superman has outearned Ryan Coogler’s Sinners (which ended its run with a total gross of $278.6 million) and is now just about $12 million away from dethroning Jurassic World: Rebirth as the third highest-grossing film of 2025 in the domestic box office, having been released nearly two weeks later.
Globally, Superman is poised to surpass the earnings of Joseph Kosinski’s F1, which currently stands at approximately $509.7 million worldwide and continues to grow. As of now, the James Gunn movie ranks eighth among the most successful films released in 2025. It will be interesting to see how high it can climb before it becomes available for home video release, a development I’ll be monitoring closely throughout the summer.
Looking ahead, August promises a fresh wave of excitement for the box office, with the arrival of “Fantastic Four: First Steps” and some intriguing competitors. These include Pierre Perifel’s kid-friendly movie, “The Bad Guys 2,” and Akiva Schaffer’s mature comedy, “The Naked Gun.” It will be fascinating to see how they rearrange the Top 10 chart. Don’t forget to join us here at TopMob next Sunday for an update on the results.
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2025-07-27 22:12