The Fantastic Four: First Steps has broken a Marvel Cinematic Universe record after seven full days in theaters. The new superhero movie, which was directed by Matt Shakman, stars Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as the Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Thing, and Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch.
First Steps is the fourth theatrically released Fantastic Four movie, but it is the first to be part of the MCU, which is the multimedia franchise that kicked off in 2008 with Iron Man. The new movie debuted on July 25, taking in a domestic opening weekend haul of $117.6 million.
Per ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, The Fantastic Four: First Steps took in an additional $7.4 million at the domestic box office on Thursday. This brings its cumulative domestic total to $158.3 million at the end of its first full week in theaters, marking the best week 1 domestic total for any MCU movie of 2025.
What This Means For The Fantastic Four: First Steps
It Should Easily Become The Highest-Grossing MCU Movie Of 2025
This record comes at the right time, because both previous MCU movies that premiered in 2025, Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, underperformed at the box office, continuing an overall downward trend for the franchise.
Although 2024’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine broke box office records and became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, it was preceded by a pair of 2023 disappointments, as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania only grossed $476.1 million against its reported $388 million budget, while The Marvels reportedly lost the studio more than $200 million.
Below, see a breakdown of the week 1 grosses of the MCU movies of 2025 compared to how they ultimately performed both domestically and globally:
|
тιтle |
Week 1 Gross |
Domestic B.O. |
Global B.O. |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Captain America: Brave New World |
$113 million |
$200.5 million |
$415.1 million |
|
Thunderbolts* |
$95.3 million |
$190.2 million |
$382.4 million |
|
The Fantastic Four: First Steps |
$158.3 million |
TBD |
TBD |
One potential hurdle is the fact that the reported budget of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is roughly $200 million, is higher than both previous MCU installments, which reportedly cost $180 million apiece. Because movies often need to earn back two and a half times their budgets, this could place its break-even point as high as $500 million.
However, if it continues on its current trajectory, First Steps could potentially end up grossing between $280 and $315 million at the domestic box office and between $580 and $635 million globally by the end of its run, making it the highest-grossing MCU movie of 2025.
There are no other MCU movies set to premiere in 2025, with the next scheduled release being Spider-Man: Brand New Day, on July 31, 2026.
Additionally, this number would probably put The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the black, likely making it the first MCU movie of 2025 to do so in theaters, even if the total is not quite enough to make it a full-on smash hit.
Our Take On The Fantastic Four: First Steps Record
It’s A Good Sign For The Future Of The MCU
While Fantastic Four probably won’t break many MCU records outside of 2025, its solid performance is still a sign of recovery for the franchise. This is especially good news because First Steps introduces new characters to the franchise.
After this riskier financial move with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the MCU will be returning to more familiar territory with upcoming тιтles such as Spider-Man and Avengers: Doomsday. With 2025 finally achieving a more solid foundation for those тιтles to build from, they could potentially be poised to become major hits.
Enjoy ScreenRant’s box office coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly box office newsletter (make sure to check “Box Office” in your preferences) and get exclusive analysis, predictions, and more:
Sign Up
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
