Fantastic Four: First Steps Rockets to Marvel’s Biggest Opening of 2025

Marvel Studios has delivered a massive win with its latest cinematic reboot, Fantastic Four: First Steps, launching the franchise’s newest era with an explosive opening weekend.

The film premiered to a staggering $118 million in domestic box office revenue and a global total of $218 million — making it the studio’s highest-grossing film of the year and one of the biggest superhero openings of 2025.

It’s not just the numbers that are turning heads. Critics and fans alike are praising the film’s blend of emotional storytelling, cosmic spectacle, and character-driven action.

The film currently boasts an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes, a major achievement for a franchise that has struggled to find its footing in previous adaptations.

This reboot officially kicks off Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reintroduces the legendary team — Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm — as they face off against the galactic threat of Galactus, with the Silver Surfer playing a pivotal, and morally complex, role in the unfolding chaos.

For longtime fans, it’s a long-awaited return to one of Marvel’s most beloved properties. For newcomers, it’s a grand-scale space saga with heart.

What sets First Steps apart isn’t just its action sequences or visual effects — though both are top-tier — but its tone. There’s a deeper emotional core this time, with themes of family, sacrifice, and identity woven throughout the narrative.

The film doesn’t shy away from the more human aspects of its superhuman characters, which gives it a grounded feeling even as it explores the vastness of the Marvel cosmos.

The film’s success also places it ahead of major competition, including DC’s Superman reboot, which debuted earlier this year with slightly higher domestic numbers but fell just short globally. With Fantastic Four generating stronger critical acclaim and more robust audience engagement, Marvel appears to have reclaimed its box office dominance at a crucial moment.

Beyond its immediate success, Fantastic Four: First Steps sets the stage for the next phase of Marvel storytelling. Packed with subtle references, cameos, and narrative threads pointing toward Secret Wars and potential X-Men crossovers, the film clearly serves as a strategic cornerstone in Marvel’s larger multiverse plans.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has described the film as “the foundation for everything to come,” and that vision is already coming into focus.

For fans who’ve been waiting for Marvel to hit another high note — this is it.

With both commercial clout and critical acclaim, Fantastic Four: First Steps is more than just a reboot. It’s a bold declaration that Marvel’s first family is finally getting the epic cinematic treatment they deserve. And if this opening weekend is any indication, the MCU’s future just got a whole lot brighter.