Disney’s Fantastic Four: First Steps came out swinging last weekend with a strong $117.6 million opening — respectable by any measure. But just one week later? The bottom fell out.
The film cratered 66 percent in its second weekend, bringing in only $40 million domestically. Overseas? Same story. After pulling in a solid $108 million overseas during its debut, weekend two dropped to just $39.6 million, according to The Wrap.
And that right there spells trouble for Marvel’s newest reboot. Even with critics and fans giving it a decent reception, the money just isn’t following. At this pace, Fantastic Four may not even break the $500 million mark worldwide — a line that used to be an easy layup for Marvel movies.
The problem isn’t just one film. This looks like a trend. Call it superhero fatigue, call it audience burnout, but the numbers don’t lie. Thunderbolts — Marvel’s other big release — was a financial gut punch, with a reported $400 million budget (production plus marketing) and only about $350 million earned in its first month.
That’s a nine-figure loss for Disney. Before that? Captain America: Brave New World and The Marvels both underperformed.
And Marvel isn’t alone in this downward spiral. Over at Warner Bros., DC’s newest Superman reboot came with high hopes and solid reviews, but even that couldn’t break out. After two weeks, it’s made around $406 million worldwide — not exactly a win when you spent $400 million to make and market the thing.
This is starting to look like a genre-wide reckoning. What used to be a guaranteed goldmine for studios is now feeling more like a financial minefield.
And Disney’s pain doesn’t stop there. Beyond the superhero slump, Snow White bombed, Pixar’s Elio flopped, and the so-called “House of Mouse” seems to be losing its magic touch at the box office.
The message from audiences? Maybe they’ve finally had enough capes, reboots, and billion-dollar budgets. The question for Disney now isn’t just how to fix Marvel — it’s whether they can stop the bleeding before this slump becomes their new normal.
