It’s a great year to be a comic book fan. DC Studios has officially kicked off the DC Universe with Superman, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe has just kicked off Phase Six with The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Both superhero films came out this July, two weeks apart. However, there is no bad blood between them, as even DC Comics co-CEO and Superman director James Gunn admitted there’s enough room for both titles. Looking at each Rotten Tomatoes score, in its debut week, The Fantastic Four turned out to be the critics’ favorite — but audiences couldn’t choose.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps debuted with a thrilling 88% score and, as more reviews came in, has settled on an 89% approval rating, with the Certified Fresh badge. Meanwhile, the new Man of Steel featured a 90% debut score, slightly higher than Marvel’s First Family. However, as more reviews came in, Superman eventually settled on a still-great 84% rating, also with a Certified Fresh badge.
While critics seemed to enjoy Matt Shakman’s new entry in the MCU slightly more than Gunn’s Superman, audiences couldn’t choose. The Fantastic Four: First Steps originally debuted with a 93% approval score from the audience, but it has since dropped to a 92% Verified Hot rating on the Popcornmeter. The catch? Superman also features a 92% Verified Hot from moviegoers.
Superman has grossed $432.6 million worldwide in its first two weeks, and it has yet to make a profit. In its opening weekend, the superhero film made $220 million. The first film in the DC Universe was produced on a price tag of $225 million, which means the film would need over $650 million to become a true hit for the studio. It’s already making waves, because Superman helped Warner Bros. defeat Disney so far as the only studio with the biggest domestic box office year to date. However, First Steps is catching up.
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Per Deadline, The Fantastic Four: First Steps grossed around $23 million in Thursday previews, which started at 2 p.m. The superhero film is looking at a $100 million to $110 million domestic debut. The numbers are also slightly higher than Superman’s. The David Corenswet-led film set a box office record for DC Studios with $22.5 million in Thursday previews, and was the best preview box office of 2025 until First Steps.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Has Already Defeated Previous 2025 MCU Titles
Although First Steps is set to kick off Phase Six, which will include the two upcoming Avengers films, Doomsday and Secret Wars, the superhero film is not the only release from the MCU this year. This year proved to be tricky for Marvel, as Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* weren’t the commercial hits the studio expected. Brave New World debuted with $12 million in Thursday previews, for a total of $413.6 million (below the $425 million break-even point), and Thunderbolts*, with $11.5 million in previews and a total of $382.1 million (also below the $425 million break-even point).
The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a higher budget of $200 million compared to the previous releases. That means, based on Hollywood’s rule of thumb of 2.5 times its budget, The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ break-even point is somewhere around $500 million, and over $600 million to become a hit. Looking at the early reviews and enthusiasm surrounding the film, it’s likely the superhero film will become Marvel’s first hit in 2025.
Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are currently playing in theaters.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Deadline