'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Fails To Best James Gunn's 'Superman' In Soft Opening Weekend
Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps failed to best James Gunn’s Superman in its opening weekend.
The-Numbers reports that Fantastic Four: First Steps grossed $118 million at the domestic box office and brought in another $100 million internationally for a global gross of $218 million.
In comparison, Gunn’s Superman did $125 million domestically and added another $95 million internationally for a global gross of $220 million. However, there is still room for Fantastic Four: First Steps to improve as Superman added another $3 million domestically on its first Monday after official numbers came in. So if something similar happens, Fantastic Four might actually edge out Superman.
Regardless, a $218 or $221 million global opening is soft. To drive that point home, the film is currently just the 18th most successful Marvel Cinematic Universe film based on its domestic opening without factoring in for inflation.
If you factor in inflation, it trends toward the bottom of the list getting best by the likes of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Iron Man, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Thor: The Dark World. In fact, most of the films it best were the disappointing Phase 5 films and the Phase 1 films that launched the MCU such as Thor, Captain America: The First Avengers, The Marvels, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Thundbolts*, The Incredible Hulk, and Black Widow.
Additionally, as box office critic OMB Reviews notes MCU films typically have huge drop offs in their second week, “MCU movies are notorious for having some of the biggest drop offs from their week one to week two totals domestically, usually dropping around 60% or higher in almost every single case whether the film is well liked, whether the film is heavily criticized.”
To that point, Thunderbolts* saw its week two domestic grosses decline by 56% while Captain America: Brave New World saw its week 2 grosses decline by 68%. Even Deadpool & Wolverine saw its week 2 gross decline by by 54%. One of the few exceptions in recent history was James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which had a week 2 decline of 48%.
What do you make of the box office returns for Fantastic Four: First Steps?
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No mo on Reed. Should have done a Joss Wheadon Justice league like with superman's lip for Reed.
I hope positive word of mouth helps this one. If this one succeeds, hopefully at least someone at Disney understands why it is better than the rest of their stuff.