Marvel‘s Fantastic Four are taking big first steps at the box office, earning a mighty $24.4 million in previews. The haul is the best preview result of the year so far, beating the previous high of $22.5 million set by “Superman” earlier this month.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is on track to make $100 million to $110 million in its opening weekend, though rival studios think it could soar even higher. The film, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, is expected to add another $90 million to $100 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut between $190 million and $210 million.
It’s the second superhero movie this month, following Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios’ hit “Superman,” which has ruled over the box office for the past two weeks. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” will win this heroic showdown this weekend, and its opening results will be in line with the Man of Steel’s launch. “Superman” made $125 million domestically and $220 million worldwide in its opening after earning $22.5 million in previews, the best of the year so far. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has a price tag of more than $200 million and cost more than $100 million to market, so it’ll need positive reviews and word-of-mouth to power its box office receipts. Remember, theaters keep half of ticket sales.
Marvel’s two previous movies this year, “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts,” had less stellar openings. The fourth Cap movie made $12 million in previews before an $88.5 million opening, while “Thunderbolts” had $11.5 million in previews and a $76 million launch. Both ended up losing money against their $180 million budgets, with some analysts pointing to “superhero fatigue” as the culprit. Marvel is hoping the Fantastic Four can turn things around. The company has already said that it plans to make fewer streaming shows and films, focusing on quality more than quantity.
“First Steps” officially brings the Fantastic Four into the MCU after some lackluster Fox movies, and it boasts a retro-futuristic aesthetic unlike previous Marvel films. In it, the superhero family must save their world against Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a devourer of planets, and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). Critics liked the film, handing it an 89% “certified fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In another bit of good news for Disney, Marvel’s parent company, the studio announced that it will cross the $3 billion mark in global grosses on Friday, becoming the first Hollywood player this year to reach that milestone.