Variety brings word that The Fantastic Four: First Steps earned a massive $24.4 million on Thursday in North America, the biggest haul of 2025 in terms of previews (the previous record holder was Superman with $22.5 million).
According to the trade, this puts Marvel's First Family on track for a $100 million - $110 million opening weekend. Something doesn't quite add up there, especially when Superman opened to $125 million earlier this month after making less from previews.
Chances are, Disney is looking to temper expectations; the optics are better to overperform than underperform, and touting a potential $130 million opening, for example, only to fall short would completely change the narrative when final numbers are reported.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is still eying an international debut of $90 million - $100 million, but again, the reboot is expected to do better with overseas audiences than Superman did. It seems we'll have to wait and see how high this team can soar over the weekend.
It's said that the Marvel Studios movie cost $200 million to produce and $100 million to market, so positive word-of-mouth will be crucial in the weeks ahead. With $1 billion no longer the norm for superhero movies, now might be a good time for Marvel and DC to figure out how to make these things for a lot less money.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a return to form for the MCU, as Captain America: Brave New World made $12 million in previews before an $88.5 million opening weekend. As for Thunderbolts*, it earned $11.5 million ahead of a $76 million debut.
Here's a wild factoid for you: The Fantastic Four: First Steps's $24.4 million Thursday is almost as much as 2015's Fantastic Four grossed during its entire opening weekend ($25.6 million).
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
In our review of the movie, we concluded, "The Fantastic Four is an exceptional introduction to the MCU’s First Family, and thanks to a Jack Kirby-infused feel that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, it proves to be a quintessential superhero movie with Marvel Studios at its brilliant best."
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theaters.