Marvel Plans Fantastic Four Sequel Despite Box Office Drop

Marvel Studios is reportedly moving forward with a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps despite the film's underwhelming box office performance, which saw a steep 66-67% drop in its second weekend. Director Matt Shakman, who helmed the first film and the MCU series WandaVision, is likely to return for the sequel, according to insider Jeff Sneider. Disney CEO Bob Iger has praised the film for successfully launching an important new franchise within the MCU, even though it did not match the financial success of larger projects like Avengers. Marvel executives remain optimistic that the sequel will perform better after the Fantastic Four characters appear more prominently in upcoming Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While the film received positive reviews and high audience scores, it failed to generate significant buzz or breakout moments beyond core Marvel fans, contributing to questions about its box office viability. The core cast members, including Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn, are set to reprise their roles, indicating a continued commitment to integrating the Fantastic Four into the MCU.