The Fantastic Four: First Steps breaks Marvel's box office slump with a $218 million global debut
The Fantastic Four: First Steps launched with a bigger-than-expected opening weekend, raking in an estimated $118 million domestically and another $100 million overseas for a global debut of around $220 million, according to Comscore.
Heading into the weekend, projections had forecast a $115 million North American take, making First Steps one of the studio's best-performing non-sequel debuts in recent years.
The film, which introduces a fresh version of Marvel's original superhero team, cost at least $300 million to produce and market.
And unlike many recent Marvel entries, First Steps doesn't require fans to brush up on previous films or plotlines to understand what's happening.
'It is a no-homework-required movie,' Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said at a recent publicity event, according to The New York Times. 'It literally is not connected to anything we've made before.'
The standalone approach appears to be paying off.
Marvel has seen several stumbles in recent years, including 2021's Eternals and this year's Thunderbolts, which has grossed just $382 million — the studio's lowest total (adjusted for inflation) since it launched its cinematic universe in 2008.
Sequels haven't fared much better, fueling chatter about 'superhero fatigue.'
Analysts have also pointed to an overcomplicated web of storylines to leaving some audience members lost.
But First Steps seemingly marks a promising reset.
Directed by WandaVision's Matt Shakman, the film stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the latest version of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and the Thing.
Additionally, Julia Garner plays the Silver Surfer.
The franchise has a rocky past. A 1994 adaptation was shelved before release, and the 2005 and 2007 versions were met with critical backlash despite moderate ticket sales.
A 2015 reboot fared worse, both at the box office and with fans.
This new iteration, however, has earned praise for its strong ensemble cast and a more grounded story.
'The movie is a step-up in concept, storytelling and appeal,' said box office analyst David A. Gross. 'We haven't had this kind of performance from the genre for a long time.'
The film's release also arrives amid a quieter year for superheroes in general.
Only four titles in the genre were released in 2025, down from eight just two years ago, with nothing else scheduled until Supergirl lands in June 2026.
'This is the new normal,' Gross added, noting studios are adjusting output to match changing demand.
Marvel wasn't the only studio celebrating over the weekend.
Warner Bros. Discovery also hit a major milestone, with Superman soaring past $500 million globally and Apple's F1, which Warner distributed, hitting $509 million in ticket sales.
Superman marks the first theatrical release from DC Studios under new co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, who stepped in back in 2022 with a 10-year plan to reboot the brand across film and television.
The film now ranks as the fourth-highest-grossing Superman title ever, trailing only Batman v Superman, Man of Steel, and Justice League.
Meanwhile, F1 has officially become Apple's top-grossing theatrical release to date — racing past 2023's Napoleon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Kamala is president! Meet the deluded liberals utterly convinced Trump never won… and certain they know precisely how he'll die
Alternate dimensions, visions from spirits, grim prophecies: these are the makings of a great science fiction novel, but for one burgeoning online movement, it's the basis of a belief system. The adherents call themselves the '4am Club,' and they're a loose community of self-styled psychics and mediums, with hundreds of thousands of social media followers.
Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Star Trek legend William Shatner discovers powerful new way to live forever
A groundbreaking program has now made it possible to preserve your life stories and wisdom, allowing you to speak to loved ones decades into the future. StoryFile, an innovative AI company, has developed lifelike, interactive 3D avatars that allow people to 'live on' after death, sharing memories and answering questions in the same natural and conversational manner of a real person. Individuals like philanthropist Michael Staenberg, 71, and Star Trek star William Shatner, 94, have used StoryFile to immortalize both their experiences and personalities. Staenberg, a property developer and philanthropist who has given away more than $850 million, said: 'I hope to pass my knowledge on, and the good I've created.' The technology captures video interviews, transforming them into hologram-style avatars that use generative AI, similar to ChatGPT, to respond dynamically to questions. StoryFile's avatars have been employed in museums since 2021 to preserve the voices of historical figures like WWII veterans and Holocaust survivors, and by terminally ill individuals to connect with family after death. Until now, the company has offered a premium service costing tens of thousands of dollars, but a new, affordable app launching this summer will allow everyday people to record their own AI avatars for less than the cost of a monthly cellphone plan. Staenberg added that he'd like to imagine other business people and family members still having a chance to interact with him 30 years from now. 'It's important to get my version so the details aren't forgotten. I've had quite a crazy life, so I'd have a lot of stories that I don't want people to forget,' Staenberg said. More than 2,000 users have used the previous version. However, the new Storyfile app will allow users to interview themselves on video and create an intelligent avatar they can keep adding chapters to as they answer more questions about their lives. Previously, the Storyfile avatars could understand the intent of people talking to them, but could only respond with pre-recorded video answers. Storyfile's newer AI avatars will be able to generate an answer based on the persona from the recorded interviews, and it will be able to approximate an answer to any question. The company has gotten a huge number of daily queries from people who have been diagnosed with terminal illness and who hope to preserve their legacy in an avatar. Storyfile CEO Alex Quinn said: 'Every day we'll get very sad and heart-wrenching emails, saying things like "My son was just diagnosed with terminal cancer."' Others have expressed fear over their parents aging, asking for a way to keep their memories intact for the future. Quinn added that Storyfile would never be able to accommodate all those requests if they had to send their video production team to all of those customers. The solution was to make a 'DIY' version, where people record their own answers to an AI 'interviewer' using the app - answering questions on everything from their career to their family to their tastes in food. The app will come with 'permanent cold storage' so that avatars remain safe once recorded, and users can keep adding new video and new information. Quinn admitted that because Storyfile avatars use generative AI there is a possibility it could initially say 'crazy' stuff, but noted that the replica of the person will become more and more realistic the more users speak to the program. 'It's almost like an AI FaceTime where you're interviewed by an AI interviewer, and it's able to probe and go deep on certain topics,' the CEO said. 'If you've got a couple days, or you've got free time, and you want to understand your question every now and then, you're just going to keep on adding to your digital memories, and it's going to get more and more sophisticated, more and more personalized,' he continued. Tech pioneers such as inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil have already used AI to recreate lost relatives. Kurzweil created a 'dad bot' based on information about his father Fred in 2016. The 'Fredbot' could converse with Kurzweil, revealing that what his father loved about topics like gardening. It even remembered his father's belief that the meaning of life was love. 'I actually had a conversation with him, which felt a lot like talking to him,' Kurzweil told Rolling Stone Magazine in 2023. He believed that some form of his dad bot AI would be released to the public one day, enabling everyone to stay in touch with their dead relatives from beyond the grave. 'We'll be able to actually create something like a large language model that really represents somebody else by having enough information,' he predicted.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Pedro Pascal has made a Sydney restaurant world famous after naming his favourite meal in Australia
Pedro Pascal has just dropped a foodie bombshell while Down Under, and fans are already scrambling to make dinner reservations. The beloved Last of Us and Narcos star, who has been in Australia promoting Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, was stopped for a red carpet interview where he casually revealed the one Aussie meal that stole his heart. Interestingly it wasn't a classic parmigiana, but the oysters at Sydney 's iconic Mimi's restaurant in Coogee, NSW. In a now-viral TikTok, that now has amassed over 2.9million views, Pedro didn't hesitate when asked about his most memorable meal in Australia. 'My favourite meal are the oysters that I had at Mimi's yesterday,' he said. 'You can never eat too many oysters,' he added in the clip, solidifying his love for the luxury shellfish. Pedro, 50, was in the country for the press tour of Fantastic Four, where he plays Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. And while the global press have their eyes on his red carpet appearances, Aussie foodies are now more laser-focused on Mimi's, the chic coastal restaurant tucked inside Coogee Pavilion in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. Mimi's, part of the Merivale hospitality empire, has long been a go-to for Sydney's elite and A-listers alike. Known for its refined seafood dishes, breathtaking ocean views, and opulent fit-out (think white linen tablecloths, marble details, and a champagne trolley), the restaurant has cemented its status as the place to be seen. And now, Pedro Pascal has given it the ultimate celebrity seal of approval. TikTok creator Tom, who was behind the viral video, even rushed to Mimi's to try the dish for himself. 'The oysters are on their way. I think Pedro put in a call. I'm scared,' he joked from Mimi's exclusive private dining room. Before the oysters arrived, he was served a jaw-dropping entrée of Blue Fin Toro Confit Tomato on a warm crumpet - another one of Mimi's signature viral dishes. 'Look at this - I could get used to this,' he said, holding up the meticulously plated starter. 'Let's help the oyster find a way to its home,' he quipped before taking a bite. 'Wow, that could be the best oyster I've ever put in my mouth. Mimi's in Coogee, it can't be anything less than a 10.' 'Great rec! So glad you loved them,' Merivale group commented on the video review. 'My favourite meal is Pedro Pascal,' another fan joked. Their signature oysters are far from your average seaside snack. Sourced from the finest Australian farms, they're shucked to order and often served with a delicate mignonette or creative topping. Presentation is everything, and so is quality. Reviews frequently rave about the freshness, flavour and theatrical flair of the seafood offering. In addition to oysters, Mimi's has built a cult following for dishes like the hand-cut pasta with spanner crab, Baked mud crab with caramelised hollandaise, the lobster served tableside, and of course, that viral Blue Fin Toro crumpet. The restaurant is no stranger to A-listers and has even hosted intimate celebrity events, but with Pedro Pascal's unexpected endorsement, it might be hard going getting a booking. This isn't the first time Pascal's love for food has gone viral. Fans may remember the now- iconic video of him ordering six espresso shots at a New York café. But it seems Sydney has made a lasting impression on him. As Pedro himself said himself: 'You can never eat too many oysters.'
