“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” Suffers Steep 66% Drop in Second Weekend

Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” remained at the top of the North American box office in its second weekend, but its performance suggests diminishing momentum.

The film grossed $40 million over the weekend, a sharp 66% decline from its $117.8 million debut, according to Deadline.

While $40 million is a respectable figure on its own, the steep week-over-week drop ranks among the biggest second-weekend declines in Marvel Cinematic Universe history.

Only six MCU films have fared worse, including “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (-67%), “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (-67.5%), “Thor: Love and Thunder” (-67.7%), “Black Widow” (-67.8%), “Captain America: Brave New World” (-68.3%), and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (-69.9%).

Internationally, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” dropped by a milder 60%, pulling in $39.6 million. Still, the global trend is raising concerns for Marvel Studios and President Kevin Feige, especially in a year where the MCU has struggled to regain its former box office dominance.

Meanwhile, DC’s “Superman” continues its solid run, earning $13.9 million in its fourth North American weekend. Its domestic total now stands at $316 million.

As of August 3, 2025, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has earned $200 million domestically and $170 million internationally, bringing its global haul to $368.7 million.

Industry analysts like Luiz Fernando project a final total of around $570 million—enough to make it the MCU’s top-grossing release of the year, though still underwhelming by franchise standards.