The Fantastic Four: First Stepshad the last laugh against the comedy-driven new releases,The Bad Guys 2andThe Naked Gunover the weekend, as the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe secured the top spot at thebox officewith an estimated $40 million domestically. Unfortunately, for Marvel Studios, though, the newFantastic Fourtook a huge step backwards as the film dropped a staggering 66% between its first and second weekends of release, and that marked decline opened the door to yet another victory for James Gunn’sSupermanagainst the MCU in 2025. So, how didSuperman,which checked in at No. 4 over the weekend, still get the better of No.1Fantastic Four?
Supermanonly dropped 53% between its first and second weekends of release, and, as a result, Gunn’s opus made considerably more thanThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsduring their respective sophomore weekends: $58.5 million forSupermanversus $40 million forF4.Now, some fans and onlookers might not think that is much of a differential — some observers will even scoff at the thought of an actual rivalry — but make no mistake… Marvel and DC are in a heated competition. However, it is the DCU’s new Man of Steel that is getting the better of the most recent iteration of Marvel’s First Family at virtually every turn. For instance, in addition toFantastic Four’spoor performance between its first and second weekends, the new MCU installment failed to surpass the $400 million mark worldwide ($368.7 million) after two full weekends in cinemas.
‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Huge Second Weekend Box Office Drop Could Be Bad News for the MCU’s Future
Fans of the Fantastic Four have not been flooding into cinemas this weekend.
By comparison,Supermaneclipsed $400 million on the global stage after just two weekends in theaters. What’s even harder for die-hard supporters of Marvel to deal with is the fact thatFantastic Four’s66% drop is far worse than even the studios’ ownThunderbolts*, which only fell 56% between its first two weekends. Plus,Thunderbolts* only made $74.3 million over its opening weekend compared toF4’s$118 million debut. Now, ponder the reality, which is surely one of the hardest pills for Marvel Studios to swallow:Thunderbolts*made $32.4 million during its second weekend, andFirst Stepsonly managed to bank around $8 million better. Forget competing withSupermanbecause that war has already been won. Why? The ugly truth is that audiences just aren’t turning out in theaters here at home or abroad for what is supposed to be Marvel’s best offering of 2025.
Last week’s box office champion,The Fantastic Four: First Steps, repeated at No. 1 over the weekend while two new releases battled for second place in the Top 5. Liam Neeson had huge shoes to fill in those of the late Leslie Nielsen as the newNaked Gunentry went head-to-head with the Sam Rockwell-ledThe Bad Guys 2. When the smoke cleared, though, it was the animatedBad Guyssequel getting the better ofThe Naked Gun.
The Bad Guys 2locked down the No. 2 spot with $22.2 million, whileThe Naked Gunchecked in at No. 3 with a respectable $17 million against a production budget of $42 million. BothThe Bad Guys 2(A) andThe Naked Gun(A-) boast tremendous CinemaScores, and they scored well with critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, the two comedies' respective box office results allowed them each to hold offSuperman’s $13.8 million showing, which was good enough for James Gunn’s film to rank at No. 4 over the weekend. Meanwhile,Jurassic World Rebirthrounded out the Top 5 with $8.7 million.
Domestic Weekend Box Office Top 5 (Aug. 1-3)
Alison Brie and Dave Franco’s critically acclaimedTogether(“Certified Fresh” 91% on Rotten Tomatoes) didn’t make enough money to crack the Top 5, but writer and director Michael Shanks’ body horror project did well enough at the box office to check in at No. 6 with $6.8 million (three-day). However, since the film opened earlier (Wednesday, July 30) than the weekend’s other titles, the supernatural flick ended up bringing home a domestic total of $10.8 million (five-day) overall.
Writer and director Zach Cregger’s horror mysteryWeaponsand the long-awaitedFreakier Friday, which features the return of both Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, both jointhe 2025 box officenext on Aug. 8. The Josh Brolin and Julia Garner-ledWeaponsis tracking to make $20 million to $30 million over its opening weekend, while Disney’sFreaky Fridaysequel is projected to bring home somewhere between $40 million and $50 million, which should be enough money to win next weekend’s top spot. Meanwhile, filmmaker Seth Worley’s comedic fantasySketchwill get an earlier start on the weekend than its competition as its theatrical run begins on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
Sources:The Numbers,Boxoffice Pro,Rotten Tomatoes
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
