Fantastic Four: First Steps Stumbles in Disney Plus Debut
Fantastic Four: First Steps has recorded the lowest Disney Plus streaming debut of any MCU film, with just 4.9 million Complete Viewings Equivalent in its opening five days—well behind recent Marvel releases.
The latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fantastic Four: First Steps, has not made the impact many expected upon its arrival on Disney Plus. In its initial five days on the streaming platform, the film managed 556 million minutes viewed, which equates to 4.9 million Complete Viewings Equivalent (CVEs). This figure places it at the bottom of the MCU’s Disney Plus debut rankings.
Comparing Opening Figures Across the MCU
When set alongside other recent Marvel releases, the numbers are rather telling. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leads the pack, having drawn in 14.1 million CVEs during its first five days. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 followed with 10.9 million, while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Eternals posted 9.7 million and 9.2 million respectively.
At the lower end, Black Widow opened to 5.1 million and The Marvels to 5.3 million. Even so, Fantastic Four: First Steps finds itself trailing behind both. Other 2025 releases have also fared better: Thunderbolts reached 5.5 million CVEs, and Captain America: Brave New World managed 6.4 million in the same period.
Box Office and Streaming: A Mixed Picture
Some might suggest that audiences chose to experience the film in cinemas rather than waiting for its streaming release. However, this theory does not entirely hold up.
Wakanda Forever topped First Steps at the box office back in 2022, with $859 million compared to Fantastic Four's $522 million, so that argument doesn't necessarily hold up.
The numbers indicate that the Fantastic Four’s latest outing has struggled to match the performance of its Marvel peers, both in cinemas and on streaming.
Cast and What’s Next for Marvel
Fantastic Four: First Steps features Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. Despite the star-studded cast, the film’s streaming debut has not met expectations.
Looking ahead, the next Marvel project to land on Disney Plus will be Wonder Man, set for release on 27 January. In the meantime, fans have plenty of upcoming Marvel films and series to add to their watchlists.