Outside of 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' the reboot looks to score the best domestic opening for Kevin Feige's superhero studio since 2022's 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.'

First Steps opened to an estimated $57 million in the United States on Friday, including preview screenings, making it the second-largest opening day of the year. The figure puts the Marvel Cinematic Universe entry just behind A Minecraft Movie,

That might sound like no big deal, but after 2023’s “The Marvels,” this spring’s fourth “Captain America” movie and “Thunderbolts*” all underperformed by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) standards, the new “Fantastic Four” may offer broader audience appeal by not pulling from other franchises.

Summer's two biggest superhero films pick up long after their central figures have already taken up their respective mantles. They (and the genre) are better for it.

Ralph Ineson, whose gigantic stature and booming voice can be found in Fantastic Four this week, co-starred alongside Nicholas Hoult, aka Superman's Lex Luther, in last year's Robert Eggers-directed Nosferatu remake. And now, the pair have bonded further, as each currently serve as the main antagonist in this year's comic book movie tentpoles.

We've got two top-notch comic-book movies in theaters: "Superman" and a new "Fantastic Four." How do they rank among the best superhero movies ever?

This success is no small feat, as previous iterations of the Fantastic Four never caught fire with fans or critics. The 2005 and 2007 Fox films were financially adequate but critically derided, and the 2015 reboot was widely panned,

Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult in Superman, and Galactus, portrayed by Ralph Ineson in Fantastic Four: First Steps, each delivered strong performances in their respective roles.