Kevin Feige Shares His Thoughts on ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Box Office Results

Marvel Studios has established its legacy not solely on box office figures, even though these numbers often dominate headlines when a new film premieres. For Kevin Feige, success encompasses more than a single metric, a sentiment he expressed in a recent discussion regarding one of the studio’s more polarizing releases.

This conversation comes at a time when Marvel has much to celebrate, particularly with ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ breaking box office records and capturing public attention. In this context, Feige took the opportunity to candidly reflect on how another Marvel release from last year fits into the studio’s larger narrative.

In an interview with Variety, Feige addressed ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ while discussing the ongoing dialogue surrounding superhero fatigue. “Many things can be true at once,” Feige remarked to Variety. “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.”

This comment reflects Feige’s broader argument that box office performance alone does not fully capture whether a Marvel film succeeded creatively. Rather than labeling ‘First Steps’ as a disappointment, his words imply that the film’s innovative tone and style were significant achievements, even if the financial results fell short of some of the studio’s biggest successes.

This distinction is important, especially considering the contrasting box office performances of ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’. While ‘Brand New Day’ has already secured the largest opening weekend in box office history with a global total exceeding $900 million, ‘First Steps’ achieved a more modest yet still impressive $521 million worldwide.

Feige’s ability to acknowledge both the creative ambition of one film while recognizing its relatively softer commercial performance illustrates how Marvel Studios is navigating this current phase of releases. Instead of viewing each film as strictly a hit or miss, Feige seems focused on highlighting what each entry contributes creatively to the broader MCU narrative.

These remarks came during a comprehensive discussion where Feige also talked about ‘Brand New Day’s record-breaking opening, describing the moment as “overwhelming” and attributing the film’s success to director Destin Daniel Cretton, star Tom Holland, and producer Amy Pascal. He also took the chance to hint that the conclusion of ‘Brand New Day’ sets the stage for future Marvel projects linked to characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

For a studio that has faced significant scrutiny in recent years over fluctuating box office results and discussions about franchise fatigue, Feige’s insights on ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ provide a glimpse into how Marvel leadership is framing its recent output. Instead of fixating on shortcomings, the focus appears to be on contextualizing each release within a much longer creative journey.

With ‘Brand New Day’ currently thriving and ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ set to arrive in December, Feige’s comments suggest that Marvel is approaching this next chapter with a clear-eyed, yet optimistic, perspective on its recent history, celebrating both successes and challenges.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!