The Fantastic Four: First Steps box office report first weekend - Marvel's film lags in India, trails behind Superman

Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps had a modest Rs 20.1 crore India debut but a strong $218M global opening, as Marvel aims to revive the franchise post-Avengers with a new cast.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

With a mediocre release in India, Marvel Studios' newest superhero film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has made its debut. The film's four language versions—English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu—collected Rs 20.1 crore during its first weekend. Matt Shakman directed the film, which has a fresh ensemble cast portraying the renowned superhero family.

Weekend earnings fall short compared to Hollywood peers

According to the weekend earnings breakdown, the film grossed Rs 5.5 crore on Friday and an even better Rs 7.35 crore on Saturday. There was a small decline to Rs. 7.25 crore on Sunday. The statistics are respectable, but they can't compare to the success of recent Hollywood blockbusters in India. The opening weekend of Superman directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, brought in more than Rs 25 crore. Joseph Kosinski's F1, starring Brad Pitt, also had a better opening weekend total than Fantastic Four, earning Rs. 21 crore.

When it came to the international box office, The Fantastic Four: First Steps was a huge success. The film had the fourth-biggest domestic opening of the year in North America with $118 million. As far as opening weekends go, only A Minecraft Movie Lilo & Stitch, and Superman stood out. It's also the best opening for a Marvel film since $211 million for Deadpool & Wolverine last year. The film grossed an additional $100 million in 52 foreign regions, for a total worldwide opening of $218 million.

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Competition from Superman, Jurassic World, and others

Its debut comes just three weeks after Superman which has grossed more than $500 million worldwide since its opening weekend. With $24.9 million, Superman was the number two film in the US over the weekend, while Jurassic World Rebirth earned $13 million, good for third place. F1 has surpassed the $500 million global milestone, even if it dropped to fourth place with $6.2 million. A total of $5.4 million was earned by Smurfs, which completed the top five in its second weekend.

With the rights returning to Marvel after Disney's 2019 acquisition of Fox, Marvel Studios is making its first effort at a Fantastic Four film with First Steps under Kevin Feige's direction. We meet the superhero family four years after their cosmic space trip turns them into superhumans in this film set in a stylised retro-futuristic timeline of the 1960s.

Star cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps

The cast includes Pedro Pascal as the body-stretching Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as the invisible Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Thing Ben Grimm, whose stone armour gives him superhuman power.

Marvel has been under fire for their lacklustre film office returns and erratic storyline in recent years. While Deadpool & Wolverine earned over $1.3 billion worldwide, Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* only managed $415 million and $382 million, respectively, at the box office.

Franchise's bumpy history at the box office

Both the box office and critical reception of the prior Fantastic Four features produced by 20th Century Fox were uneven. A 2015 remake featured Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller, while versions from the mid-2000s included Chris Evans as the Human Torch. Marvel is trying to reacquaint the team with both long-time viewers and newcomers with First Steps a soft reboot.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps shows that Marvel Studios is still trying to return to its superhero genre glory days, particularly after the Avengers era, even though it had a lower opening in India.

FAQs

Q: How much did The Fantastic Four: First Steps earn at the Indian box office?

The film earned Rs 20.1 crore over its opening weekend in India across four languages—English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Q: Who plays the main characters in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

A: Pedro Pascal plays Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn plays Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays Ben Grimm.

Q: Is The Fantastic Four: First Steps a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)?

Yes, this is the first Fantastic Four film produced under Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige, officially introducing the characters into the MCU.

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