Despite reigning as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s top box office performer of 2025, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has stumbled out of the gate in its streaming debut. Nielsen data reveals that the film’s arrival on Disney+ generated significantly lower viewership numbers than its franchise predecessors, painting a complex picture for the future of Marvel’s First Family.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps By the Numbers
The Fantastic Four: First Steps hit Disney+ on November 5, 2025, following a successful theatrical run that began in July. However, the anticipated streaming boom never materialized. According to Nielsen ratings for the week of November 3 to November 9, the film debuted at the number ten spot on the streaming charts, accumulating 556 million viewing minutes. This translates to approximately 4.9 million views.
While these numbers were enough to make it the third-highest-ranked movie of the week—trailing behind KPop: Demon Hunters and Frankenstein—they fall short of internal MCU standards. For comparison, the film’s debut viewership lagged behind The Marvels (5.3 million views), which is notorious for being the franchise’s only significant box office bomb. It also trailed behind Marvel’s other 2025 releases, Captain America: Brave New World (6.4 million views) and Thunderbolts* (5.5 million views).
The Theatrical vs. Streaming Paradox
The disparity between box office success and streaming performance suggests a shift in audience behavior rather than a rejection of the brand. The Fantastic Four: First Steps grossed $521.9 million worldwide and secured the fifth-largest opening weekend of the year with $117 million. In contrast, the films that outperformed it on Disney+—Captain America 4 and Thunderbolts*—had lower box office returns.
This data implies that eager fans rushed to theaters to see the Fantastic Four’s debut, satisfying their curiosity early. Conversely, audiences may have skipped the theatrical release of the other 2025 titles, choosing instead to wait for their home release. This theory is supported by the film’s strong performance on digital platforms; following its digital release on September 23, it reigned as the number one purchase on Fandango for three consecutive weeks.
Implications for the MCU’s Future
The “First Steps” of the Fantastic Four were critical for Marvel Studios, as the team is slated to play a central role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Secret Wars. While the low streaming numbers might initially raise eyebrows, industry analysts argue the franchise is still on solid ground.
With a reported budget of $181 million—making it one of the more cost-effective MCU productions in recent memory—the film was profitable theatrically and performed well in home video sales. While 2025 marks a rare year where an MCU title didn’t crack the top worldwide grossers (a first since 2011, excluding the pandemic year of 2020), the foundational work done in First Steps has set the stage for these characters to grow. Much like the early solo films for Thor and Captain America, the streaming figures may simply be a lull before the team takes center stage in the next massive crossover event.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
