Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” was released in theaters on July 25, becoming the first Phase 6 film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Matt Shakman (“WandaVision,” “Succession,” “The Boys”), the movie introduces the iconic superhero family and its members, including Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), whose chemistry is arguably the highlight of the film.
The movie begins in a similar fashion to its rivaling summer 2025 superhero blockbuster, DC’s “Superman”, skipping past the characters’ iconic backstory to present them as seasoned saviors of Earth. This faster, more concise pace is revealed to be a consistent trend throughout the movie, presenting more decisive plot points that unravel into a thrilling climax wrought with classic superhero film charm.
As aforementioned, this movie delivers us performances that make all too believable the familial aspect of the Fantastic Four. Be it the marital relationship between Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman, or the brotherly friendship between Thing and Human Torch, the compatibility of the cast on the big screen is evident. Adding to each character’s charm, the movie takes great care in balancing the subplots of each hero, making each a proud contestant for best member of the Fantastic Four in their own right.
Apart from its characters, the movie achieves a well-rounded storyline. While many could criticize it as “safe,” the end result is ultimately a classic story filled with good vs. evil, redemption, love, stakes and victory.
“First Steps” also manages to present quality CGI, putting to shame earlier Marvel titles, such as “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” whose likability was debatably sabotaged by unconvincing effects.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which scores a 7.3/10 on IMDb, was for years a highly anticipated film, whose success was counted upon by fans of Marvel to make up for past failures with the IP. Notable iterations of the superhero family in live action consist of 20th Century Fox’s 2005 “Fantastic Four” (and its sequel), whose 5.7/10 IMDb score (and 5.6/10, respectively), were attributed to similarly likable characters bogged down by poor supporting characters, as well as Fox’s 2015 “Fantastic Four,” which received an even lower 4.3/10 from IMDb for lackluster characters, tonal issues, anticlimactic plot and the movie’s own name drop.
In spite of its successful redemption of the Fantastic Four in cinema, “First Steps” is notably suffering at the box office. While its whopping $117.6 million domestic gross in its first days of release made it the highest grossing weekend Marvel debut of 2025, the movie suffered a staggering 66% drop off in its second week, and now is projected to have made upwards of $350 million globally, a disappointing number compared to the juggernaut that was Marvel’s 2024 title “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which made over $1B worldwide.
Though not necessarily a flop, the mediocre sales of one of Marvel’s most iconic IPs paints a dark picture for the future of superhero cinema. Recent films, including Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” (2025) and “Thunderbolts*” (2025), have underperformed significantly. Even DC’s world-renowned figure couldn’t profit to the extent of films like Deadpool, with “Superman” (2025) having only made $578 million globally.
Further debate questions the reasons behind “First Steps’” underwhelming performance, especially given its quality and legacy, including its marketing and timing in proximity to “Superman.” Regardless, Marvel’s next perceived blockbuster, “Avengers: Doomsday,” which will continue the franchise’s most popular title yet, must be a success. The prospect of the film’s underperformance, especially given its hype and collection of cast members ranging from “X-Men” to “First Steps,” would indeed spell doom for the MCU and perhaps the superhero genre of film as we know it.
