After a $117.6 million domestic start and promising word of mouth from its opening weekend, it looked like "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" could at least be a step in the right direction for Marvel Studios after two years of inconsistent box office returns.

With The Fantastic Four: First Steps estimated for a difficult 66-percent box office drop from its respectable opening weekend of $118 million domestic, the comic book movie giant has watched its 2025 strategy lose some of the core audience that cemented the MCU as appointment viewing for years... the average moviegoers.

But since the COVID, the studio has only prospered with entries led by familiar properties such as “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,