While there have been tributes to Jack Kirby over the years, with everything from the Thor: Ragnarok logo being in honor of him or Ant-Man featuring a cool reference to him, The Fantastic Four: First Steps took things to the next level when celebrating the late Marvel artist.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has kicked off Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an impressive $118 million domestic box office haul from its opening weekend. That’s the fourth biggest domestic opening of 2025, behind A Minecraft Movie ($162 million), Lilo & Stitch ($146 million), and Superman ($125 million).

This iteration of the Fantastic Four has a standalone adventure without all the burden of the MCU's history and cast of characters.

First Steps” stormed the domestic box office, topping superhero competitor “Superman” to finish No. 1 with $118 million.

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” grossed $118 million at the domestic box office over the weekend—largely meeting earlier projections, but still placing it behind “Superman” for the biggest superhero film opening of 2025 so far.

Ryan Meinerding is having a full-circle moment. When he was in high school, one of his favorite characters was The Thing - so he sketched him. That artwork is featured in “Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding.

In addition to setting up Galactus and the Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four: First Steps finds time to tease another major villain.

“Fantastic Four” has a “distinct retro-futuristic aesthetic and family-focused themes,” according to Rotten Tomatoes. With a “certified fresh” critics score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, reactions to “Fantastic Four” seem largely positive — even if they sometimes come with qualifications.

First Steps makes a bold move in stripping a superhero of their defining characteristic, but shifts the team's hierarchy.