Marvel's "Fantastic Four" Makes Stellar Global Entrance as Other Blockbusters Race Past Milestones

Marvel’s latest cinematic revival, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, rocketed onto the global box office scene with an energetic debut, pulling in $100 million from overseas markets and racing to a worldwide total of $218 million. While those numbers narrowly edged out the international opening of Superman, which earned $95 million from a broader 78-country launch, Superman still claimed a slightly higher global kickoff at $220 million.

The Fantastic Four’s rollout, covering 52 international territories, saw standout numbers in Mexico ($12M), the UK ($10.8M), France ($5.7M), and Brazil ($5.1M). China, on the other hand, continues to show dwindling enthusiasm for superhero flicks, with First Steps stumbling at just $4.5M. Even so, Superman, despite its American-centered appeal, managed a modest $6.6M in China.

Directed by Matt Shakman, the film features Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing), and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch). This new iteration of the classic Marvel team faces a cosmic threat bent on devouring their world. With strong critical feedback and encouraging buzz, the film’s early reception offers a much-needed boost for Marvel Studios and Disney, who have struggled to regain box office dominance after a string of uneven performers. While Deadpool & Wolverine was a massive success last year, both Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts failed to recoup their hefty $180 million budgets earlier in 2025.

Elsewhere on the box office scoreboard, three high-profile blockbusters crossed major global milestones: Superman and F1 both shot past $500 million in cumulative earnings, while Jurassic World Rebirth stormed ahead to over $700 million worldwide.

Superman, which debuted two weeks ahead of Fantastic Four, is showing signs of fatigue. It dropped 57% in its third weekend, adding $19.8 million from 78 territories. Its international earnings now stand at $213 million, a disappointing figure given that big tentpole releases typically lean heavily on international sales (around 60%). However, strong support from domestic audiences has helped it reach a global total of $502 million.

Meanwhile, Jurassic World Rebirth—featuring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali—continues to stampede through the box office. In its fourth weekend, it hauled in $23.5 million from 82 international markets, climbing to a foreign total of $416 million. With $718 million worldwide, it’s one of only three films this year to crack the $700 million barrier. Still, that’s a tough benchmark to maintain, especially compared to its predecessors in the franchise, each of which surpassed $1 billion globally.

Apple Studios’ F1, the high-octane racing saga starring Brad Pitt, remains steady in its fifth weekend, picking up another $20 million overseas. With a production budget of $250 million, the film has now raced to $344 million internationally and a solid $509 million globally.

So while Fantastic Four may have crossed the starting line with a promising sprint, it faces a packed field of contenders speeding through their own impressive box office runs. Whether Marvel’s reboot can maintain momentum in the weeks ahead remains the real test.