‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Blasts Past ‘Superman’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch’ to Lead 2025 Previews

Superhero movies are clearly still going strong. Just two weeks after Superman hit theaters, Disney and Marvel Studios are seeing huge early success with The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The movie made about $23 million in Thursday previews that kicked off at 2PM, according to sources in the industry. That’s not an official number from Disney, but it’s already a big win for Marvel.

This early number is the biggest preview total for any MCU film in 2025 so far. It’s also more than double what Thunderbolts* earned, which brought in $11.5 million in previews. It even beat Captain America: Brave New World by 92%. Early estimates had the opening weekend for Fantastic Four somewhere between $100 and $110 million, but with this kind of momentum, it looks like it could easily climb higher.

The movie is set in a 1960s-inspired future, and critics and fans are really into it. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 88% from critics and 92% from the audience. That puts it on par with Thunderbolts* and better than Deadpool & Wolverine, which had a critic score of 78%. The audience score is almost the same as that one though, sitting at 94%.

This also marks the 12th time a Marvel movie has crossed $20 million in preview earnings. The record still belongs to Avengers: Endgame, which made a wild $60 million on its preview night back in 2019.

The numbers for Fantastic Four are pretty close to what Superman managed two Thursdays ago. That movie earned $22.5 million, but that also included $2.8 million from early Amazon Prime screenings. Superman eventually made $125 million during its opening weekend. It had a 92% audience score, 84% from critics, and landed an A- CinemaScore. With $23 million in previews, the movie surpassed Superman and Lilo & Stitch.

Social media buzz is another area where Fantastic Four is winning big. RelishMix, a firm that tracks online conversations and engagement, says the film is the first one this year to pass a billion in social media reach. It’s ahead of Jurassic World Rebirth and Superman, and now joins the ranks of mega-hits like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine, which also hit that billion mark.

According to RelishMix, the cast is playing a big role in the online excitement. Pedro Pascal has 11.4 million followers, Joseph Quinn has 5.6 million, Vanessa Kirby has 2.6 million, and Julia Garner has 1.5 million. They’re all posting and engaging with fans, especially after the movie’s world premiere.

People online are loving the film’s vibe. RelishMix says the reaction has been really positive. Many fans are happy with the ’60s setting and the fresh take Marvel is offering. One person wrote, “Setting it in the ’60s was a good idea. This looks better than the previous Fantastic Four movies.” Someone else said, “This is maybe the first Marvel film I’m genuinely excited for — can’t wait to see it.”

A lot of fans also said they liked how the movie feels like a fresh start. One person posted, “So excited to get a new Marvel film where I haven’t had to watch hours of existing movies/shows as a prerequisite for watching!”

And then there’s the villain, Galactus. Fans are pumped to see him in action. Comments like “Galactus is coming — this movie is about to be Fantastic!” and “The shadow of that helmet — chills.” are popping up all over social platforms.

With big preview numbers, strong reviews, and tons of online excitement, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is proving that Marvel still knows how to deliver a hit.

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