Disney’s Chief Bob Iger discussed Marvel’s new superhero movie, Fantastic Four: The First Step, as if it had been “successfully launched.”
“We’re still focused on creating new intellectual properties,” Iger commented, referencing Disney’s financial call and the Variety.
“Obviously, it’s a valuable asset for us in the long term. Yet, we recognize that the appeal of our classic intellectual properties still holds significance. The possibility to reimagine older animations, like we did with ‘Moana’ in 2026, presents great potential for the company and bolsters our franchises,” he added. “We’re not stating that any specific content is prioritized. Our main goal remains: to produce fantastic films that resonate with audiences.”
Fantastic Four had a promising opening, earning $125 million in its first weekend. Still, the film saw a significant drop the following weekend, with a 66% decline in viewership.
Despite the unexpectedly poor performance in its second weekend, Iger maintained that the film had “successfully introduced this crucial franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
To be fair, Fantastic Four didn’t experience the worst second-weekend drop in Marvel history; for instance, The Amazing Spider-Man dropped 78% in its second week. Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World fell 68%, while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania saw a 70% decline.
Unfortunately, Marvel has been facing a downturn in box office revenues for various superhero films lately.
Thunderbolts, released in May, underperformed significantly. According to box office analysts, Thunderbolts has resulted in Disney facing losses exceeding $100 million.
With a budget of $400 million that covered production and marketing, Thunderbolts brought in only about $350 million during its opening month. Regrettably, Thunderbolts became the third Marvel film in recent memory to fall short of expectations, joining Captain America: Brave New World and The Amazing Spider-Man in disappointing earnings.
Disney is grappling with various flops across the board.
Alongside Fantastic Four not yielding the high profits they aimed for, Disney has also faced disappointments with Snow White and the Pixar film Elio.
