```html 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Powers to $57 Million Opening Day, Nipping at 'Minecraft Movie's' Heels

Disney's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" has ignited the box office, grabbing an estimated $57 million on its opening day, Friday, July 26, 2025. The film, playing in 4,125 theaters across the country, including Imax and other premium large format auditoriums, secured the second-biggest opening day of the year, according to Disney's figures.

The impressive debut puts "Fantastic Four: First Steps" just behind "A Minecraft Movie," which launched with $57.11 million earlier this year. The strong opening also positions it ahead of DC Studios' "Superman," which debuted with $56.1 million just two weeks prior, setting the stage for a potentially tight race to beat "Superman's" $125 million three-day opening weekend.

Marvel's Rebound and the Fox Acquisition

The opening day success represents the strongest start for a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film since "Deadpool & Wolverine" dominated theaters a year ago. Like the R-rated hit, "Fantastic Four: First Steps" is based on Marvel characters acquired by Disney through its $71 billion acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. This film aims to demonstrate the potential value of that significant merger, following three previous "Fantastic Four" films produced at Fox between 2005 and 2015, and the unreleased 1994 version.

“This is a crucial moment for Marvel,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “After a period of mixed results, a strong ‘Fantastic Four’ launch is essential to reaffirm audience confidence in the MCU and to justify the investment in the Fox acquisition. The film's performance over the weekend will be a key indicator of its long-term prospects.”

A Fresh Start for Marvel's First Family

The film aims to attract audiences with a story that has only limited connection to other MCU entries, offering a fresh entry point for viewers. The cast, led by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, all MCU newcomers, play Marvel's first family. In addition to the novelty, the film has garnered positive reviews and an "A-" CinemaScore, indicating favorable audience sentiment.

Box Office Competition and Future Prospects

With a production budget of $200 million, coupled with significant marketing and distribution costs, "Fantastic Four: First Steps" needs to remain a top-performing film to achieve profitability in theaters. Marvel's prior 2025 releases, "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Thunderbolts*," opened to $88.5 million and $76 million, respectively, but are tracking to lose money theatrically.

Disney hopes that the Matt Shakman-directed "Fantastic Four" will generate momentum for the studio, before it enters a hiatus from superhero films. Marvel is producing "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," the fourth Tom Holland-led installment, scheduled for release in July 2026, but Sony will distribute that film. Disney will have nearly 18 months to prepare for its next MCU installment, the team-up film "Avengers: Doomsday," slated for December 2026.

Other Box Office Contenders

Warner Bros.' "Superman" took second place, earning $7.1 million on Friday, a 57% drop from the previous week, putting the film in direct competition with "Fantastic Four." The film is projected to reach a $289 million domestic total after its third weekend, surpassing "Sinners" ($278 million) to become the fourth-highest-grossing North American release of the year.

Universal's "Jurassic World Rebirth" is anticipated to slide to third place in its fourth weekend, adding $3.6 million on Friday. The seventh film in the dinosaur series is projected to earn $13 million for its fourth weekend, a 45% drop. The total domestic gross is expected to exceed $301 million by Sunday.

Warner Bros.' "F1," distributed by Apple Studios, took fourth place with $1.8 million on Friday, a 37% decline from the previous week. With a production cost of $250 million, the Brad Pitt-led film's theatrical profitability is uncertain. However, it has shown strong holds since its debut. The film is projected to reach $165 million domestically by Sunday.

Paramount's "Smurfs" rounded out the top five, adding $1.72 million on Friday and projected to earn $5.6 million for its second weekend. After a low opening, the film is showing a 49% second-weekend drop, showing some relative staying power. The domestic total will reach $22.9 million after ten days, a disappointing result given its $58 million production budget.

The Evolution of Superhero Film Economics

“The economics of superhero films are changing,” notes Laura Martin, media analyst at Needham & Company. “While initial box office numbers are important, studios are increasingly focused on long-term value, including streaming rights, merchandise sales, and franchise extensions. 'Fantastic Four' needs to perform well across all these platforms to be considered a true success.” ```