Fantastic Four Sequel Rumored, Despite Box Office Bomb

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According to reports, Marvel is reportedly pushing ahead with a new Fantastic Four film, despite First Steps potentially becoming another financial setback in the MCU. This news comes after Disney confirmed that Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts are also predicted to be box office failures.

Marvel Betting on Avengers Crossovers

As per sources, insider Jeff Sneider indicates that Marvel is planning for a follow-up film, with Matt Shakman possibly reprising his directorial role. The strategy appears to be that the team’s upcoming appearances in “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” could increase their popularity, thereby improving the chances of success for the second movie.

The weekend’s box office performance was less than stellar, as “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” experienced a significant decline and earned $40 million for its second weekend, suggesting it may fall short of “Superman.” It’s rumored that Matt Shakman will be back to direct the sequel, with Marvel executives hoping that its performance will improve once the First Family makes an appearance in the final two parts of “The Avengers.

To date, there hasn’t been an official statement released by Disney or Marvel Studios concerning the Fantastic Four. However, during a recent investor call, Disney CEO Bob Iger expressed optimism regarding the team.

Fantastic Four Suffers Huge Drop

The rumor arises following the significant 67% decrease in earnings for ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ in its second weekend, resulting in a domestic total of $38 million after opening at $117.6 million. Notably, this puts it behind James Gunn’s ‘Superman’, which experienced only a 53% drop in its second weekend and is rapidly surpassing $550 million worldwide.

As of Tuesday, Fantastic Four is at $378.3M globally.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I must admit that while the impressive 91% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- grade from CinemaScore suggest a blockbuster hit, it seems that the latest Fantastic Four reboot hasn’t quite captured the hearts of a wider Marvel audience beyond die-hard fans.

According to The Wrap’s assessment, the second weekend’s decline in earnings for the film is seen as a potential warning sign for Marvel’s upcoming ventures. The report indicates that the movie was anticipated to experience a drop of less than 60%, which would have maintained its trajectory towards earning $300 million domestically and $500 million globally. However, this now appears improbable, leading to doubts about the box office performance.

Lacking the “X” Factor

According to many reviewers and experts, the movie “Fantastic Four” failed to create much conversation among viewers. Unlike “Superman,” which sparked interest in characters such as Krypto and Mr. Terrific, “First Steps” played it cautiously. There were no memorable scenes or guest appearances, nor any significant connections to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Despite boasting striking visuals and enthusiastic audience recommendations, it struggled to attract broader appeal beyond its dedicated fanbase. The film delivered as anticipated, but unfortunately, didn’t offer anything extraordinary.

According to Aaron Neuwirth in an article for The Wrap, the latest “Fantastic Four” movie was enjoyable but lacked the extraordinary factor that would prompt an immediate rush to the theater. There wasn’t anything particularly standout about it that made people exclaim, “You absolutely must see this film right now!

Box Office Outlook Not Great

The Fantastic Four is encountering a more challenging fight at the box office as they approach their third weekend. New contenders such as Freaky Friday, Weapons, and The Bad Guys 2 are anticipated to attract significant audience segments, particularly families and the broader public.

During the film’s initial release, it was evident that the audience was predominantly male, with approximately 70% of ticket-buyers being males. In contrast, families made up a smaller percentage when attending Marvel’s Fantastic Four, accounting for just 17%. This figure pales in comparison to the 31% of family attendance at Superman screenings.

According to someone in the film industry, ‘The Fantastic Four’ was more focused on dedicated fans and less on families. Facing off against ‘The Bad Guys 2’ in its second week may have proved to be a greater challenge than initially anticipated,” (paraphrased from The Wrap).

Can the Avengers Save the Franchise?

It seems that Marvel is optimistic that when the Fantastic Four make their appearance in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, they will finally gain significant popularity. However, as reported by The Wrap, these upcoming films might not match the $2 billion box office successes of Infinity War and Endgame, unless they receive similar build-up, fan interest, and promotion.

It seems that Marvel might hold off on introducing a new character until after 2028, as of now, and there’s currently no update regarding the release of Shang-Chi 2.

The MCU going forward

At the latest Marvel press gathering, much like Iger’s statements, Kevin Feige announced a decrease in the production of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) content.

Over a timespan from ‘Iron Man’ in 2008 to ‘Endgame’ in 2019, Marvel generated approximately 50 hours of screen stories. Since then, that number has skyrocketed to an astonishing 102 hours across movies and TV shows. If you factor in animation as well, it amounts to 127 hours. He found this amount overwhelming.

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2025-08-07 19:44