Fantastic Four Drops 66% Second Weekend Amid MCU Fatigue

Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" opened strongly with $117.7 million, marking the best launch for a new Marvel intellectual property since 2019, but suffered a sharp 66% drop to $40 million in its second weekend, raising concerns about audience retention and superhero fatigue. Despite positive reviews and an "A-" audience score, the decline was steeper than comparable films like "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Thunderbolts," and notably worse than DC's "Superman," which had a smaller second-weekend drop. The film's global total reached $369 million, but its underperformance, including a historic flop in China, casts doubt on its long-term box office potential, with projections now likening its total gross to "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" rather than a major blockbuster. Industry analysts point to changing consumer behaviors post-pandemic, such as the rise of streaming and reduced movie theater attendance, as factors but acknowledge that these alone do not fully explain the movie's steep decline. The movie is set in a 1960s retro multiverse with familiar and new characters, but this creative direction and the timing of the release amid a generally slow August box office have contributed to its challenges. Despite these setbacks, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" remains a significant release in Marvel Studios' Phase 1 launch for the franchise, with expectations for future crossovers and developments.