The sequel of the superheroes relays again, but this time, making a nostalgic pause in the past. Marvel Studios long-awaited reboot The Fantastic Four: First Steps, launched in Indian cinemas with fair expectations but failed to perform over its rivals among superhero and action movies in the domestic box office.
The movie opened to a 20.1 crore first weekend in India, which is not poor, but in need of improvement in order to drown out the more recent blockbusters such as Superman and the fast-paced racing/thriller F1.
Although the worldwide collections of The Fantastic Four: First Steps looked more spectacular, its showing in India demonstrates not only the strength but the saturation of the same genre marked by superheroes. So, let us have a closer look at how this retro-futuristic family drama by Marvel performed on the weekend and how it compares to other 2025 blockbusters.
India Box Office: The day-by-day breakdown
Published in four languages, English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, The Fantastic Four: First Steps received a cold reception in India:
- Friday, day 1: 5.5 crore
- Day 2 (Saturday): 7.35 crores
- Day 3 (Sunday): Rs . 7.25 crore
- Total (Opening Weekend): 20.1 crore
The movie had a clear increase in the number of viewers on a Saturday, but a minor decrease on a Sunday. Possible reasons can involve a combination of word-of-mouth, competition with other running movies, as well as genre burnout, which fans have been going through when it comes to superhero films in general.
Wider picture: Worldwide Box office
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was a formidable force in every other part of the world in spite of its modest Indian box office collection. The movie gained a stable 218 million dollars in its first weekend all over the world. This includes:
- North America: 118 million dollars
- International Markets (52 territories): 100 million dollars
Interestingly enough, the movie went ahead to beat the global debut of Deadpool & Wolverine ($211 million) released last year. The accomplishment also means that First Steps is the largest global opening in Marvel of all time since the sequel to Deadpool, and the fourth-biggest box office debut of 2025, beaten by Minecraft: The Movie, Lilo & Stitch, and Superman.
Superman and F1: The Numbers Game: Comparison.
Certainly, the first week numbers of First Steps are going to be good in the world over, but even in India, this movie did not match two of the big Hollywood hits in the recent past:
- Superman, produced by James Gunn, collected 25+ crore in the first weekend in India.
- F1, directed by Joseph Kosinski and featuring Brad Pitt, works with 21+ crore.
Both local films performed better, indicating that when it comes to the ideological novelty or influence of the leading actors, it could outweigh its foreign predecessor, calling to the same domain as Marvel.
Both Superman and F1 at the global stage have exceeded the 500 million mark, and this has placed very high standards on the 2025 releases.
A New Start involving The Fantastic Four
This version of Fantastic Four is the first reboot of the popular franchise by Marvel Studios under the direct orders of Kevin Feige, as the division of entertainment owned by Fox became a part of Disney in 2019. Past adaptations both of the 2005 film starring Chris Evans and the 2007 film reboot with Chris Evans and the 2015 film reboot with Michael B. Jordan missed the mark with critics and never developed cult followings.
First Steps is a new trend; the story is placed in the retro-futuristic world of the 1960s, which is quite unlike the current MCU of Marvel. It is an apparent tonal and visual change, which is seen to refresh the interest in the franchise.
👨👩👧👦 The New Superhuman Family
This reboot has a brand new cast and a brand new origin story for the classic characters:
- Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal): The intelligent scientist who has the power to stretch and get stretched at will.
- Sue Storm / Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby): A diplomat blessed with the ability to turn invisible and create force fields in order to keep the world at peace.
- Johnny Storm / Human Torch (Joseph Quinn): The hot-headed younger brother who can set himself on Fire and can run very fast.
- Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach): Team muscle, whose rock-like frame almost makes him invulnerable.
Set four years after they gain their powers from a cosmic ray accident while out on a space mission, First Steps shows how Reed’s technological savvy and Sue’s diplomacy had transformed the world – foreshadowing a more grown-up, down-to-earth kind of superheroism.
Marvel and Its Continuous Struggle to Strike a Relevant Chord
The past couple of years have not been rosy for Marvel. Following the historical success of the Avengers franchise, most of its titles released as part of Phases Four and Five did not prove to live up to the critical and box office success of Phase 3. Movies such as Captain America, Brave New World, and Thunderbolts did not splash as previously, with only $415 million and $382 million each, only a fraction of the billions amassed years ago.
Fantastic Four: First Steps may, however, bring a turning of the tables. Having high worldwide revenues and, in general, positive critical feedback, it shows that Marvel could reinvent itself, albeit gradually.
Speaking of which, audience fatigue is not to be disregarded, and the market is more competitive than ever. The rejuvenated products and non-superhero blockbuster movies such as F1 of DC prove that Marvel is no longer a monopoly in terms of gaining the attention of global audiences worldwide.
Fantastic Four Back in the Future
In contrast to the previous standalone releases, this reboot is obviously built to be a cornerstone for the future generation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Feige has also dropped a hint that Fantastic Four would feature at the center of upcoming crossover titles in the Marvel universe.
It has already been speculated that they will appear in later multiverse movies and may be crossovers with the X-Men or new Avengers teams. Ensuring a proper start, the franchise already boasts stars in Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby that will help keep it going; now it is all about maintaining the same pace.
Final Thoughts: A decent start, then some improvements can be made
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was not the kind of film that would blow the doors off the Indian box office, but its performance overseas, combined with a new vision, makes Marvel something to cheer. It is a substantial move in restoring trust among the fans and in taking the MCU further than it is right now.
Sustained by nostalgia, new storytelling, and international fascination, the Fantastic Four might at last have had what it takes to make an impression the first time around, but it remains to be seen whether that will be the case, and without a doubt, the question that most enthusiasts hope to answer will be whether that will be reflected by their success at the box office.
Also Read: Happy Gilmore 2: A Nostalgic Swing by Sandler