Hollywood, CA – July 27,2025
Marvel Studios’ latest offering, “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” has landed in theaters with a surprising thud at the weekend box office, despite generating significant pre-release buzz for its unconventional approach to the iconic superhero team. Initial reports indicate a disappointing opening for the much-anticipated reboot, raising questions about audience appetite for a different kind of superhero story.
Breaking from tradition, “Fantastic Four: First Steps” is notably not an origin story, instead dropping viewers into the lives of an already established Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ben Grimm (The Thing).
This creative decision aimed to bypass the repeated origin narratives of previous iterations, allowing the film to dive straight into new and complex territory.
One of the most talked-about elements of the film, and a significant deviation from earlier on-screen adaptations, is the portrayal of Sue Storm as pregnant with Reed’s baby.
This familial dynamic is central to the plot, adding a layer of personal stakes as the team faces off against the cosmic devourer of worlds, Galactus. The decision to introduce such a pivotal element of the Fantastic Four’s lore – the birth of their powerful son, Franklin Richards – at the outset, rather than building up to it, was a gamble that appears to have had mixed results with moviegoers.
While critics have lauded the film’s visual ambition and the performances of its cast, the subdued box office performance suggests that the innovative storytelling choices may not have resonated as broadly as Marvel Studios had hoped.
This latest “Fantastic Four” outing, directed by Matt Shakman, marks Marvel’s latest attempt to bring their “First Family” to the big screen within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As of Sunday evening, early estimates for “Fantastic Four: First Steps” place its domestic opening well below typical MCU blockbusters. While a precise figure is yet to be confirmed, the numbers suggest that the film struggled to attract the massive crowds often associated with Marvel properties, especially considering the significant narrative shifts.
The film’s performance will undoubtedly be a topic of much discussion within the industry, as it attempts to gauge whether audiences are ready for more mature and pre-established narratives within the superhero genre, or if the tried-and-true origin story formula still holds the most reliable box office appeal.
