Who would win in a box-office smackdown between Superman and the Fantastic Four? Superhero movie fans just got the answer − although it’s so close that it’s practically a draw.
Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, opened to an impressive $118 million at the domestic box office this weekend, according to estimates released by Comscore on Sunday, July 27.
The anticipated numbers put the film’s debut just slightly below that of DC’s “Superman,” with David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, which opened to $125 million at the North American box office earlier this month.
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Released just two weeks apart, “Fantastic Four” and “Superman” have a lot in common, as both are new interpretations of iconic superhero characters whose recent cinematic renditions were poorly received. The last Fantastic Four movie was the critically reviled 2015 bomb “Fantastic Four,” which opened to just $25 million domestically. Superman, meanwhile, was coming off a series of movies from director Zack Snyder, whose darker vision for the character was divisive.
The two movies were also similarly crucial for the future of their respective franchises. The stars of “Fantastic Four: First Steps” will return in “Avengers: Doomsday” (expected Dec. 18, 2026), a major event film for Marvel, meaning the group’s debut movie performing poorly would have spelled trouble for Disney. The same could be said for DC, given that “Superman” is the first film in a relaunched cinematic universe that has numerous more entries on the way, including next summer’s “Supergirl” (June 26, 2026), starring Milly Alcock.
In the end, both Marvel and DC can breathe a sigh of relief. “Fantastic Four” and “Superman” not only each opened well at the box office, but also earned positive reviews from critics and the exact same A- grade from audiences polled by CinemaScore, a research firm that surveys moviegoers at theaters.
Also breathing a sigh of relief? Movie theaters, which had a strong July between the pair of superhero blockbusters and “Jurassic World Rebirth” with its solid $148 million five-day holiday debut at the start of the month.
But not even superheroes and dinosaurs were enough to steal the seasonal box-office crown from “Lilo & Stitch.” After snagging a huge $146 million three-day debut in May, the Disney live-action remake still holds the title of biggest opening weekend of the summer, and it’s the only Hollywood movie to pass $1 billion worldwide so far this year.
“First Steps” is the first “Fantastic Four” film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after the characters were previously owned by 20th Century Fox. It’s also Marvel’s third movie of 2025, after “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts*,” but first to open to more than $100 million domestically over three days.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How ‘Fantastic Four’ box office opening compares to ‘Superman’
