After a $117.6 million domestic start and promising word of mouth from its opening weekend, it looked like "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" could at least be a step in the right direction for Marvel Studios after two years of inconsistent box office returns.

First Steps ’ second-week ticket sales called it a cratering, and noted that its week-to-week drop was akin to similar stumbles for past Marvel pariahs Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Thor: Love and Thunder.

But since the COVID, the studio has only prospered with entries led by familiar properties such as “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,