First Steps' CinemaScore Sets A New Franchise Record For Marvel's First Family

Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps breaks a new record, leaving behind every previous Marvel movie starring the same team. The Fantastic Four: First Steps delivers a standalone story focused on Marvel’s First Family. It also sets up future stories like the Russo brothers’ upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and possibly Avengers: Secret Wars.

On its opening weekend, The Fantastic Four: First Steps receives an A- rating from CinemaScore. The Fantastic Four: First Steps surpasses the 2005 Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer‘s B scores, as well as the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot’s C- grade. However, an A- rating places The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the bottom half of the MCU’s CinemaScore rankings.

Fantastic Four Movie	CinemaScore
The Fantastic Four: First Steps	A-
Fantastic Four (2005)	B
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer	B
Fantastic Four (2015)	C-

What The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ CinemaScore Record Means

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is A Strong New Beginning For The Characters

The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ A- CinemaScore is a win for Marvel Studios due to the Fantastic Four franchise’s rocky past. Audiences and critics didn’t fully connect with any previous live-action Fantastic Four movie. First Steps marks a clear turning point as the team finally earns a place in the MCU and start a potentially long journey.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps renews audience trust in the brand. The team has been a major part of Marvel Comics lore since 1961, but they haven’t had the same luck on the big screen. For a property long seen as impossible to translate to live-action, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ positive reception is a major reputation boost.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards In Space Suits In The Fantastic Four First Steps

Do You Need To Watch Any Marvel Movies Before The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

The MCU’s next movie is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, causing many to wonder whether any past Marvel films are required viewing before it.

On the other hand, an A- grade isn’t ideal within the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s rankings. Several more divisive MCU movies like Iron Man 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Avengers: Age of Ultron, have earned a full A CinemaScore. This places The Fantastic Four: First Steps in a solid but not elite tier.

Our Take On The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ CinemaScore Record

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is A Solid Fountation, But There’s Room To Improve

Marvel's First Family poses for The Fantastic Four_ First Steps' poster in front of the Baxter building

Audience and critic reception to the MCU’s first Fantastic Four entry are equally positive across other sites and aggregators. The Fantastic Four: First Steps overshadows its predecessors’ Rotten Tomatoes scores as well. By the end of its opening weekend, The Fantastic Four: First Steps holds an 87% Tomatometer and a 93% Popcornmeter.

Vanessa Kirby As Sue Storm Holding Her Hands Up And Using Her Powers In The Fantastic Four First Steps

Fantastic Four Budget Breakdown: How Much It Cost And What Box Office It Needs To Succeed

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is under significant pressure to succeed at the global box office when its theatrical run comes to an end.

While there’s always room to improve, the MCU seems to be adjusting certain flaws and weaknesses. Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ positive reception might lead to stronger standalone films. In turn, crossover events like Avengers: Doomsday will benefit from higher anticipation and characters with solid narrative foundations.

Source: CinemaScore