New MCU Entry Shows Promising Performance, Surpassing Previous Iterations and Setting Sights High Despite “Superman” Competition
Gurugram, Haryana, India: Marvel Studios and Disney’s latest superhero epic, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, appears to be living up to its name, taking substantial strides at the box office. As of Friday midday, the film is estimated to have pulled in $56 million for the day, putting it on track for an impressive three-day opening weekend total of around $125 million. This performance places it firmly in contention with DC’s recently released Superman, which has also seen robust numbers.
The Matt Shakman-directed movie, being Marvel’s “first family,” is expected to benefit significantly from Saturday’s typical surge in walk-up business for family-friendly films. While final demographic breakdowns for the entire weekend are still being monitored, early PostTrak data from Comscore/Screen Engine indicates Fantastic Four drew a 7% share of kids under 12 last night, with a vast 93% general audience. Notably, the under-35 crowd showed massive engagement, making up 70% of last night’s audience, compared to Superman‘s 66%. It’s important to remember that Friday’s impressive cumulative figure includes the $24.4 million earned from Thursday night previews.
Early audience reactions are very positive, with PostTrak reporting a strong 70% definite recommend from both the main audience and kids under 12.
In an earlier update, Thursday’s preview numbers confirmed that The Fantastic Four: First Steps actually came in higher than DC’s Superman in terms of previews, with a studio-reported $24.4 million. This figure is particularly encouraging as it surpasses the $20.7 million preview haul of MCU’s Captain Marvel, which went on to a $61.7 million Friday and a $153.4 million three-day opening. It’s also remarkably close to Captain America: Civil War, which notched $25 million in Thursday previews before its $75.5 million Friday and $179.1 million opening weekend.
For Marvel enthusiasts, the numbers are indeed fun to dissect. First Steps‘ Thursday night alone came remarkably close to eclipsing the entire opening weekend of the previous Fox-Marvel Fantastic Four reboot from Josh Trank, which debuted to $25.6 million. The original Tim Story-directed Fantastic Four from Fox opened to $56 million, with its 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, pulling in $58 million. With projections already pointing towards a $100 million-$110 million opening before the strong Thursday/Friday numbers, the new MCU take, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Julia Garner, is now confidently expected to beat those previous iterations’ opening weekends.
In terms of marketing spend, iSpot data shows that Disney’s linear TV advertising spend for Fantastic Four was lower than Warner Bros.’s for Superman, coming in at $14.6 million versus $28.1 million respectively. Despite the lower spend, Disney’s campaign managed to reach 950 million household TV ad impressions, while Superman‘s hit 1.52 billion. The Fantastic Four: First Steps spots were prominently featured during NBA games (17.7%), Good Morning America (3.5%), SportsCenter (3.4%), Bachelor in Paradise (2.7%), and MLB games (2.7%). The top networks for the film’s advertisements by impressions were ABC (31.0%), ESPN (8.5%), FX (6.8%), Freeform (6.3%), and National Geographic (4.6%). This data does not even include additional cross-promotional spots Disney had with other brands, indicating an even wider reach.
Looking at the broader box office landscape for the week, here’s how other major releases performed:
- Superman (Warner Bros.): In its second week, playing in 4,275 theaters, the film earned $4.76 million on Thursday (down 28% from Wednesday), bringing its weekly total to $86.8 million (down 51%). Its cumulative total now stands at an impressive $264.6 million.
- Jurassic World Rebirth (Universal): In its third week across 3,854 theaters, the dinosaur blockbuster took in $2.38 million on Thursday (down 12%), contributing to a $35.7 million week (down 41%). Its total domestic gross is now $288.5 million.
- I Know What You Did Last Summer (Sony): Opening in 3,206 theaters, this new horror entry earned $1 million on Thursday (down 16%), for a first-week total of $18.4 million.
- Smurfs (Paramount): The animated film, showing in 3,504 theaters, grossed $1.26 million on Thursday (down 9%), totaling $17.4 million in its opening week.
- F1 (Apple/Warner Bros.): In its fourth week, playing in 3,094 theaters, the racing drama earned $1.13 million on Thursday (down 13%), for a $15.3 million week (down 26%). Its total cumulative gross stands at $159.3 million.
With positive word-of-mouth and the critical role of Saturday’s walk-up audience for family films, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is well-positioned for a strong opening weekend, signaling a potential return to form for Marvel’s iconic first family at the box office.