‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ soars with $23m in previews in first openings

Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps is off to a strong start at the domestic box office, pulling in an estimated $23 million in Thursday previews, according to multiple sources. 

The Matt Shakman-directed reboot began screenings  on July 24 and quickly landed one of the highest preview totals in the MCU’s history.

While Disney has not yet confirmed the numbers, the early performance places First Steps well ahead of recent Marvel titles. The film’s preview haul nearly doubles that of Thunderbolts ($11.5M) and beats Captain America: Brave New World by 92% ($12M), both of which posted respectable opening weekends of $74.3M and $88.8M respectively. 

Industry projections currently estimate Fantastic Four will open between $100M–$110M, though insiders suggest the number could climb even higher based on early momentum.

The film holds a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 88% critics’ score and a 92% audience rating, placing it among the best-reviewed MCU entries in recent memory. 

That puts it in league with Thunderbolts (88% critics, 93% audience) and ahead of Deadpool & Wolverine (78% critics, 94% audience). It also edges past James Gunn’s Superman, which debuted last month with an 86% critics’ score and now sits at 83%.

This marks the 12th time a Marvel Cinematic Universe film has crossed the $20M threshold in Thursday previews.