Fantastic Four: First Steps Stumbles on Disney Plus Debut
Fantastic Four: First Steps has set a new low for MCU films on Disney Plus, drawing fewer viewers in its first five days than any previous Marvel release. See how it compares to other recent blockbusters.
Marvel’s latest outing, Fantastic Four: First Steps, has landed with a bit of a thud on Disney Plus, pulling in the smallest streaming audience of any Marvel Cinematic Universe film to date. In its first five days after dropping on 5 November, the film managed 556 million minutes watched, which works out to 4.9 million Complete Viewings Equivalent (CVEs).
To put that in perspective, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever holds the top spot for Marvel’s streaming launches, racking up 14.1 million CVEs in its opening five days. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 wasn’t far behind, with 10.9 million, while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Eternals posted 9.7 and 9.2 million respectively.
Comparing the Numbers
At the other end of the scale, Black Widow and The Marvels both had slow starts, with 5.1 and 5.3 million CVEs. Even so, Fantastic Four: First Steps has come in below both, making it the lowest performer among the MCU’s Disney Plus debuts. Other 2025 releases have fared better too—Thunderbolts drew 5.5 million, and Captain America: Brave New World managed 6.4 million in the same time frame.
Some might reckon the numbers could be down to punters choosing to catch the film at the cinema instead of streaming it straight away. But that theory doesn’t quite stack up. Wakanda Forever, for example, not only outpaced First Steps on Disney Plus, but also cleaned up at the box office in 2022, pulling in $859 million compared to Fantastic Four’s $522 million.
Cast and What’s Next
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 hasn’t managed to spark the same level of interest as its Marvel stablemates.
Looking ahead, the next Marvel project to hit Disney Plus will be Wonder Man, set to arrive on 27 January. In the meantime, fans keen to keep up with the MCU can check out guides to all the upcoming films and shows to fill out their watchlists.