Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps landed at No. 1 worldwide this weekend, scoring an estimated $118 million in North America and a further $100 million overseas for a $218 million global launch, giving Disney its first $100 million domestic opener of 2025 and quelling talk of “super‑hero fatigue.”
The 1960s‑set reboot also unseated James Gunn’s Superman, which added $24.9 million in its third frame to push the Kryptonian epic to $289.5 million domestic and $502 million worldwide. Gunn’s film remains the year’s top comic‑book earner, but analysts note that First Steps posted stronger premium‑format ratios, suggesting longer legs once August weekdays kick in.
Away from capes, Apple and Warner Bros.’ high‑octane F1: The Movie continued to lap the field, sprinting past $400 million after four weeks—a new theatrical high for the tech giant and a pace that positions Brad Pitt’s racing drama to eclipse his personal best, World War Z ($531 million). The film’s domestic rollout began with $55.6 million and $144 million globally, still Apple’s biggest opening to date. Early international response has been strongest in China ($22 million) and the U.K. ($17.3 million), while Latin America and France are also outperforming genre norms.
Industry trackers see the trio of titles—Marvel’s first‑family relaunch, DC’s flagship hero and a non‑franchise sports drama—driving a 12 percent year‑to‑date box‑office uptick versus 2024, reversing a post‑pandemic flatline. Exhibitors credit concentrated tent‑pole spacing and robust Imax demand; premium screens delivered more than 30 percent of First Steps grosses and nearly 40 percent of F1’s opening haul. With Minecraft and Disney’s live‑action Lilo & Stitch still in the top five, momentum is expected to hold through mid‑August before Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth stomps into theaters.
Marvel’s next hurdle is sustaining front‑loaded interest: prior MCU entries Thunderbolts and Brave New World sank more than 67 percent in their sophomore outings, whereas Superman slipped a modest 48 percent last weekend and only 41 percent this frame. If First Steps can mirror that trajectory, Disney could reclaim the year’s superhero crown before Labor Day; if not, Gunn’s fresh‑minted Man of Tomorrow may yet end summer atop the genre leaderboard.
