"Fantastic Four: First Steps" Rockets to Box Office Glory
Retro magic, family heart, and a supercharged comeback made for a good time.
Marvel Studios’ “Fantastic Four: First Steps” has stormed into theaters, reigniting America’s love affair with Marvel’s original superhero family. This 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic adventure is more than just a reboot—it’s an intimate, cinematic reintroduction helmed with care by director Matt Shakman and starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the world’s most beloved team of cosmic crusaders.
The film’s opening weekend was nothing short of super: it clobbered the U.S. box office with $118 million, racking up a global total of $218 million and handily surpassing its competition, including DC’s latest Superman reboot. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” now stands as the 37th consecutive Marvel Cinematic Universe title to debut at No.1, a much-needed win for Marvel Studios in 2025.
Critics and fans are praising the film’s deft focus on family and its smart avoidance of yet another origin story. As IGN notes, “There’s a charisma to each of them individually and chemistry between them all. … They feel like a proper family, and you can tell the actors and director really put the work in to make it so”. In the words of RogerEbert.com: “The dazzling setting evokes a jumbled-up amalgamation of things we’ve seen and things we’ve only dreamed of. … The acting and the visuals elevate it far beyond the baseline of the genre”.
The villainous Galactus, rendered with striking restraint, and Julia Garner’s enigmatic Silver Surfer are highlights, while the script balances spectacle with emotional authenticity. Marvel’s new approach, as the New York Times reports, is designed for everyone with “accessibility: viewers do not need an advanced understanding of Marvel to enjoy this film”—a move that’s paying off at the box office and with new audiences alike.
As post-pandemic moviegoers look for fresh blockbusters, “Fantastic Four: First Steps” proves that there’s plenty of life left in Marvel’s legacy when heart and humanity are as powerful as their cosmic foes. Marvel’s First Family, it seems, is finally home.
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