(Image Source: Marvel Studios)
Marvel's fourth live-action "Fantastic Four" film, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," was produced with an estimated budget of $200 million and concluded its global theatrical run with approximately $520 million. While this figure isn't considered a blockbuster by MCU standards, it notably stands as the highest-grossing "Fantastic Four" film in history. However, despite its moderately successful box office performance, the film has significantly underperformed in streaming.
(Image Source: Marvel Studios)
According to Nielsen ratings, "First Steps" recorded the lowest Disney+ streaming debut for any Marvel film since the platform's launch. In its first five days available in the U.S., it garnered only 4.9 million views. This figure falls short of "The Marvels" (5.3 million views), "Eternals" (9.2 million views), "Thunderbolts*" (5.5 million views), and "Captain America: Brave New World" (6.4 million views). Notably, all these aforementioned films had lower theatrical box office totals than "First Steps."
A higher theatrical box office doesn't always translate to low streaming viewership, as demonstrated by "Deadpool & Wolverine." That film grossed a massive $1.33 billion globally and still achieved a robust 19.4 million views in its Disney+ debut, proving that theatrical popularity can often drive streaming engagement.