Fantastic Four: First Steps Stumbles at the Box Office—Is Marvel’s Magic Fading?

Marvel Studios is having a rough year at the box office, and their latest movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, isn’t breaking the trend. The film just saw a whopping 66% drop in its second weekend—ouch! Even with that fall, it still managed to hold onto the No. 1 spot at the box office, pulling in another $40 million and bringing its domestic total to $198 million. Worldwide, it’s sitting at $368 million, so it’s not a flop, but definitely not the hit Marvel was hoping for.

• Huge second-weekend drop for The Fantastic Four: First Steps
• Box office performance compared to previous Marvel and DC movies
• Marvel’s struggle to reignite excitement for new superhero teams
• What this means for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and the MCU’s future

Fantastic Four: First Steps and the Box Office Woes

Let’s be real—Marvel’s 2025 isn’t exactly a victory lap. The Fantastic Four: First Steps had a strong opening weekend, even beating out some of the classic MCU debuts like Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy. But the excitement fizzled fast, with Variety calling the ticket sales drop a “cratering.” That’s the kind of language that makes studio execs sweat.

For context, Deadline tried to soften the blow, comparing it to other “frontloaded” superhero flicks, but also pointed out that DC’s Superman held up much better in its second weekend. So, the question isn’t just about superhero fatigue—it’s about Marvel fatigue. Are fans just tired of the formula, or is the Fantastic Four not the draw Marvel hoped for?

Marvel’s Strategy: Fresh Start or More of the Same?

Marvel tried to play both sides with First Steps. On one hand, it’s a fresh start, with the Fantastic Four in their own universe, not tangled up in the 36 previous MCU movies (at least for now). On the other, it’s clearly setting the stage for the next big thing—Avengers: Doomsday. But if people aren’t excited for the setup, will they show up for the payoff?

Let’s not forget, Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World also underperformed this year, even though reviews were solid. All three are meant to build hype for Avengers: Doomsday, but the box office numbers suggest that fans aren’t biting. Marvel’s famous “narrative connective tissue” feels pretty thin this time around, with only vague hints about multiversal threats and new Avengers teams forming.

What’s Next for Marvel?

Marvel is hoping that bringing back heavy hitters like Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo brothers for two new Avengers movies will light that spark again. It worked for Deadpool & Wolverine and Spider-Man: No Way Home—both made over a billion dollars thanks to nostalgia and big names. But how long can Marvel ride that wave?

The future is a bit shaky. Avengers: Doomsday could still be a massive hit, especially with its star-studded cast. Its follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars, is already being talked about as a potential reboot for the entire MCU in 2027. But if audiences keep skipping the setup movies, Marvel might have a bigger problem than just a few bad weekends at the box office. For now, it’s a waiting game at the House of Ideas.