Box Office Update: Fantastic Four opening in the same range as Superman

For all the talk of superhero fatigue, recent box office numbers suggest the genre may still have plenty of life left. While the disappointing openings of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts seemed to signal the genre’s decline, both Superman and now Fantastic Four: First Steps have opened solidly. In fact, Fantastic Four looks to be matching Superman’s launch from just two weeks ago, with early Deadline reports projecting a $120–125 million debut.

I’ll admit it—my predictions were off by about $30 million. I genuinely thought releasing two major superhero films so close together was a mistake, but audiences don’t seem to mind.

For some context: the first Fantastic Four film (the 2005 version) opened to $56 million, with its 2007 sequel pulling in $58 million. The ill-fated Josh Trank version managed only $25.6 million in 2015. So this new film’s debut is a major leap forward for the notoriously troubled franchise.

That said, even a $125 million opening isn’t quite the juggernaut figure Marvel routinely hit during its peak years. Still, there’s clearly appetite left for these characters. Perhaps upcoming tentpoles like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars will catapult the franchise back into the stratosphere.

Fantastic Four received a solid (if not spectacular) A– CinemaScore—on par with Superman, Ballerina, and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Among summer releases, F1 is the only non-animated movie to earn an “A” range score.

No word yet on how Superman is holding in its third week, but it’s well on track to surpass $300 million domestically—a strong showing for DC. However, James Gunn has expressed disappointment in its international performance, citing the current global political climate as a factor.

Are you planning to see Fantastic Four this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

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