WARNING: This article includes SPOILERS from Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.With Superman opening earlier this month for the DC Universe, the film is now receiving compeтιтion from The Fantastic Four: First Steps at the box office. One of the biggest months in the superhero movie genre for 2025 was always going to be July, with the DCU and Marvel Cinematic Universe squaring off with some of their biggest IPs in the same month.
While James Gunn’s Superman movie finally brought the Man of Steel back to the big screen, Marvel Studios gave Marvel’s First Family the cinematic treatment many have been waiting for in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. As Superman has been out for a few weeks, many were wondering how the DCU installment would fare against the MCU’s final 2025 movie.
According to Box Office Mojo, Superman, starring David Corenswet as Krypton’s last son, had a global opening with $217 million, emerging as one of the strongest openings for a DC film. For The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the Phase 6 installment beat Superman’s worldwide box office opening with $218 million.
However, domestically, it’s a different story, as The Fantastic Four: First Steps had a $118 million domestic haul, which is where Superman emerged victorious. Superman had a $125 million domestic haul, with the DC Studios film beating Marvel Studios’ final 2025 film by $7 million.
What Superman & The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Box Office Debuts Mean
Superman Has Already Grossed Over $500 Million Worldwide
While it’s a very small difference from The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ box office opening globally, it’s still crucial to remember that DC is still rebuilding its movie brand, following several bad outings from the DCEU movie timeline. But that doesn’t negate the success of Superman, which has now collected over $500 million worldwide.
In the MCU’s case, The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ worldwide box office opening is a much-needed win for Marvel Studios, in comparison to Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*. Time will tell how things will go between The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman, as the next couple of weeks will be crucial to follow.
Our Take On Superman & The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Box Office Debuts
There Is Enough Room For DC & Marvel
While The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ global box office debut may have been slightly higher than the DCU’s Superman movie, it’s clear that the superhero genre is still popular with audience members, especially for high IPs like these two. In the current conversation of whether there is superhero fatigue, the DCU and MCU films just proved that there isn’t one.
If anything, Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps prove that bigger тιтles still reach general audience members. As The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman mark the final superhero films for 2025, it will be quite interesting to see how they finish their runs.
Source: Box Office Mojo (1,2)
