Marvel Studios’ latest superhero venture, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is showing signs of struggle in its second weekend at the domestic box office.
Despite positive critical reception and strong early buzz, the film suffered a steep 66% drop in ticket sales, earning $40 million down sharply from its $117.6 million opening weekend.
The unexpected decline, reported by Comscore on Sunday, August 3, raises concerns about the film’s staying power and broader audience appeal. By comparison, DC’s Superman, which debuted two weeks earlier with a slightly stronger $125 million, saw only a 53% dip in its second weekend.
The sizeable drop is particularly surprising considering the film’s favorable reception. Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Fantastic Four earned an A CinemaScore and currently holds an impressive 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes—matching Superman’s audience score.
Still, the decline reflects a larger pattern of inconsistency in Marvel’s box office performance. While the studio saw a major win last summer with Deadpool & Wolverine, recent offerings such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, and this May’s Thunderbolts have posted underwhelming results. Thunderbolts ended its domestic run with a muted $190 million.
With Fantastic Four once seen as a major pillar in Marvel’s next cinematic phase, this early drop-off may signal a tougher road ahead for the franchise—and for the studio’s broader efforts to reignite superhero fever.
