Tickets for Superman went on sale yesterday, and following reports that both it and The Fantastic Four: First Steps broke records during their respective first days of pre-sales, we know many of you will be eager to know which of them came out on top.
According to box office analyst Luiz Fernando, Superman's first 24 hours (including sales for Prime preview screenings on Tuesday) were 1.1x ahead of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the same time frame.
It's a small but not entirely insignificant difference, and it's hard not to wonder whether the chance to see the movie a few days earlier is what gave Superman the edge. Either way, it could be a close race at the box office for both movies...which will only really matter for those of you rooting for one over the other.
As Fernando explains, "Let’s keep in mind that [The Fantastic Four] kicked off pre-sales 50 days earlier, while [Superman] did it 30 days earlier, and that also plays a factor here. It’s easier to convince someone to buy a ticket to see a film in one month than justify to someone, let alone casuals, why should they buy now a ticket for a film coming out in 2 months."
"[If] the Prime screenings didn’t exist, [Superman] would still come slightly ahead of [Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3], on par with [The Batman] & 1.5x ahead of [Captain America: Brave New World's] kick offs - remember: despite its disastrous run, even [that] managed to open with a respectable [$]88.8M," he added.
Superman currently has the edge over The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but we've seen many superhero movies open big, only to plummet during their second weekends. Positive reviews and strong word of mouth will be crucial for Superman, especially as it's sandwiched between Jurassic World Rebirth and The Fantastic Four reboot.
The same applies to The First Steps, as Marvel Studios can't afford another disappointment after Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*.
We've seen some very early box office tracking for both movies, but reliable estimates likely won't drop until two weeks before their respective releases.
"They come out 2 weeks after us - there's room for us both!" James Gunn recently said of the supposed competition between the movies. "I love my friends at Marvel. You can find whatever discussions you'd want to find online. I'd focus on all the positivity around the films instead of getting sucked up in online fan wars."
The Matt Shakman-directed The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to be released in theaters on July 25, with Gunn's Superman arriving two weeks earlier on July 11.