Things were looking bleak for The Fantastic Four: First Steps a few weeks ago. Despite positive reviews and a strong start at the U.S. box office, ticket sales dropped significantly during its second and third weekends in theaters, suggesting it could finish its run in the same $400 million ballpark as Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*.
The Marvel Studios movie has since regained its footing in a not dissimilar manner to Elemental and Mufasa: The Lion King. Now, it's worth noting that The Fantastic Four: First Steps won't quite reach the same heights as the two Disney blockbusters initially deemed "flops," but it's no longer in danger of ending up with under $500 million.
The reboot grossed $5.9 million at the North American box office during its fifth three-day weekend in theaters, a 34.6% drop from the previous weekend. Its domestic cume has now reached $257.3 million, and an eventual Labor Day boost means it's now eyeing a $270 million - $275 million final haul.
Overseas, it made $5.8 million this weekend, a 40.8% drop for a $257.3 million total, bringing its current global cume to $490.1 million. It should now wrap up its stint in theaters across the globe with $515 million - $520 million.
That should place it roughly $100 million behind Superman, and this isn't a bad result for a franchise that's previously delivered an unreleasable movie, and three critically panned efforts starring Marvel's First Family.
With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars set to prominently feature the heroes, it seems likely that we'll eventually get a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the next Saga of MCU storytelling.
In our review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we concluded, "The Fantastic Four is an exceptional introduction to the MCU’s First Family, and thanks to a Jack Kirby-infused feel that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, it proves to be a quintessential superhero movie with Marvel Studios at its brilliant best.
How many times have you watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters?
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
Also appearing are Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman, Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder/Mole Man, Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols, and Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert. John Malkovich was set to play Red Ghost, but was cut due to time constraints.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman from a screenplay by Josh Friedman and Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer.
The movie is now playing in theaters.