Kevin Feige Defends MCU's 2025 Reboot After Underwhelming Box Office

A year after The Fantastic Four: The First Steps underperformed at the box office, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has come to the movie's defense.

The Fantastic Four joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, which previously owned the film rights to the superhero characters. However, their first MCU movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, underwhelmed with a box office gross of $521.8 million worldwide. After its $117.6 million domestic debut, the film saw an 80% drop on its second Friday.

Now Feige is speaking out about Fantastic Four's performance last year. During an interview with Variety after Spider-Man: Brand New Day's massive opening weekend, the head of Marvel Studios boasted that The Fantastic Four: First Steps "looked and sounded like nothing that had been done in a superhero movie before."

He acknowledged that, despite what he considers the film's unique "look and sound," its box office numbers weren't at the level he had hoped for.

By contrast, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which just debuted with a $355 million domestic and $927 million worldwide opening weekend, told a story that "resonates" with audiences, Feige explained. "It's ultimately about loneliness and the dangers of staying in our apartments by ourselves, looking at our phones. That resonates across cultures and across the globe right now."

"Many things can be true at once. I think last year’s Fantastic Four looked and sounded like nothing that had been done in a superhero movie before, and it only [grossed] $521 million. Brand New Day is very directly a part four. It picks up right after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and yet it tells a story that resonates. It’s ultimately about loneliness and the dangers of staying in our apartments by ourselves, looking at our phones. That resonates across cultures and across the globe right now."

In the post-Infinity Saga era, there's been a lot of talk about whether superhero fatigue is real, especially when several MCU films have underwhelmed, not just The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The discussion isn't just relegated to Marvel, of course. The DC Universe is experiencing this as well, especially after Supergirl only grossed $125.8 million. Then Spider-Man: Brand New Day came out and proved that not every superhero movie underperforms.

Feige believes that moviegoers respond to movies that are "well-crafted and well-made. They don't always do that. But when they do, it's a nice reminder that success builds success." The Fantastic Four: First Steps may have missed the mark a bit, financially, but Spider-Man is the shining example of what still works in the superhero genre.

I can only speak to Brand New Day, and audiences responded to a movie that’s well-crafted and well-made. They don’t always do that. But when they do, it’s a nice reminder that success builds success. The Odyssey, Toy Story 5 and all the great movies that have been in theaters this year reminds people there’s nothing like a shared experience. There’s nothing like a moment for the whole globe to come together."

Despite underwhelming box office grosses, movies like The Fantastic Four: First Steps received great reviews. The Marvel flick is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a critic score of 86% and an audience score of 90%. Supergirl may have been a flop and earned mixed reviews from critics, but audiences largely responded favorably with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 73%.

Also, compared to its pre-MCU days, First Steps is a success, as it's the highest-grossing Fantastic Four movie ever. The very first film, 2005's Fantastic Four, grossed $333.5 million, while the sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, earned $301.9 million. 20th Century Fox's reboot attempt in 2015 still holds the spot as the lowest-grossing Fantastic Four film, with $167.8 million.

Just because the Fantastic Four's first entry into the MCU underwhelmed, it doesn't mean this superhero team is going away. They'll be appearing in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, which releases in theaters on December 18, and a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps is reportedly in development.