The Fantastic Four: First Steps | A Win, a Miss, or Something In Between?
It’s been a few months since The Fantastic Four: First Steps hit theaters, and the big question still lingers… was Marvel’s “First Family” a box office success… or a stumble in stretchy suits?
After nearly two decades without a proper MCU debut, the arrival of Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben was supposed to be a moment. The hype was real. The expectations? Astronomical. But this movie didn’t drop into a smooth, thriving MCU, it landed smack in the middle of a chaotic rebuild of sorts.
To be fair no Marvel flicks have been knocking it out of the park lately, some have made some noise though. So where did First Steps land?
The Box Office Numbers Don’t Stretch as Far as Reed Richards
According to Box Office Mojo and The Numbers, The Fantastic Four: First Steps pulled in roughly $520 million worldwide. Not bad on paper until you remember there are 26 MCU movies that made more… ouch!
Out of 37 total Marvel films, First Steps sits somewhere in the lower middle pack, behind even a few of its older MCU cousins.
2025’s Box Office Context Matters
Here’s where perspective comes in, The 2020’s haven’t exactly been the golden years for cinema… especially the Superhero genre.
With that in mind, First Steps actually ranks as the 10th highest-grossing movie of the year (2025) worldwide. Among superhero flicks, it’s sitting comfortably in second place, right behind SUPERMAN.
In a year where half a billion dollars is a strong finish, that’s nothing to scoff at. The superhero genre has been fighting uphill lately, and the fact that Fantastic Four broke the Top 10 says a lot about how audiences are still interested in these stories… just done right.
The Bigger Picture
The real test will be what comes next. The Fantastic Four: First Steps didn’t light the world on fire, but it did reestablish Marvel’s original superhero family in the MCU. That’s no small thing.
If Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars deliver the goods, First Steps could age like fine wine and seen as the film that set the stage for Marvel’s next big era.
So no, The Fantastic Four: First Steps didn’t break any MCU records.
But it’s not a broken film either.
It’s standing tall… well, as tall as Reed Richards’ neck can stretch and ready for what comes next
