LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marvel’s iconic group of superheroes has finally struck gold at the box office. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” produced under the leadership of Kevin Feige and the Walt Disney Company, pulled in $118 million from 4,125 theaters across North America during its opening weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
This debut ranks as the fourth highest opening of the year, just behind “A Minecraft Movie,” “Lilo & Stitch,” and “Superman.” It’s also the biggest opening for a Marvel film since “Deadpool & Wolverine” raked in $211 million last summer. On the international front, “Fantastic Four” garnered $100 million across 52 markets, contributing to a total global launch of $218 million. These figures were well within the studio’s projections.
The release followed close on the heels of another significant superhero reboot, James Gunn’s “Superman,” which premiered three weeks earlier and has already surpassed $500 million worldwide. Produced by DC Studios, this film secured second place domestically with $24.9 million.
The box office success of “First Steps” and “Superman” means “the whole notion of superhero fatigue, which has been talked about a lot, can I think be put to rest. I always say it’s bad movie fatigue, not superhero fatigue,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore.
“First Steps” is the latest attempt at bringing the superhuman family to the big screen, following lackluster performances for other versions. The film, based on the original Marvel comics, is set during the 1960s in a retro-futuristic world led by the Fantastic Four, a family of astronauts-turned-superhuman from exposure to cosmic rays during a space mission.
The family is made up of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who can stretch his body to incredible lengths; Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who can render herself invisible; Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who transforms into a fiery human torch; and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who possesses tremendous superhuman strength with his stone-like flesh.
The movie takes place four years after the family gained powers, during which Reed’s inventions have transformed technology, and Sue’s diplomacy has led to global peace.
Both audiences and critics responded positively to the film, which currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and promising exit poll responses from opening weekend ticket buyers. An estimated 46% of audiences chose to see it on premium screens, including IMAX and other large formats.
The once towering Marvel is working to rebuild audience enthusiasm for its films and characters. Its two previous offerings this year did not reach the cosmic box office heights of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which made over $1.3 billion, or those of the “Avengers”-era. But critically, the films have been on an upswing since the poorly reviewed “Captain America: Brave New World,” which ultimately grossed $415 million worldwide. “Thunderbolts,” which jumpstarted the summer movie season, was better received critically but financially is capping out at just over $382 million globally.
Like Deadpool and Wolverine, the Fantastic Four characters had been under the banner of 20th Century Fox for years. The studio produced two critically loathed, but decently profitable attempts in the mid-2000s with future Captain America Chris Evans as the Human Torch. In 2015, it tried again (unsuccessfully) with Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller. They got another chance after Disney’s $71 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets in 2019.
The “Fantastic Four’s” opening weekend results were a little less than some rival studio projections, Dergarabedian said. Nonetheless, the film is expected to carry movie theater earnings well into August.
Holdovers dominated the top 10, but one other newcomer managed to make the chart. The dark romantic comedy “Oh, Hi!” earned $1.1 million from 866 screens.
“Jurassic World Rebirth” landed in third place in its fourth weekend with $13 million, followed by “F1” with $6.2 million. The Brad Pitt racing movie also passed $500 million globally. “Smurfs” rounded out the top five with $5.4 million in its second weekend.
The box office is currently up over 12% from last year.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” $118 million.
2. “Superman,” $24.9 million.
3. “Jurassic World Rebirth,” $13 million.
4. “F1: The Movie,” $6.2 million.
5. “Smurfs,” $5.4 million.
6. “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” $5.1 million.
7. “How to Train Your Dragon,” $2.8 million.
8. “Eddington,” $1.7 million.
9. “Saiyaara,” $1.3 million.
10. “Oh, Hi!,” $1.1 million.
