First Steps" follow. Matt Shakman's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is set in the confines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- it's film #37 in the series -- but the filmmakers wisely distance the action of this film from its peers by shifting events over to a parallel universe.

Outside of 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' the reboot looks to score the best domestic opening for Kevin Feige's superhero studio since 2022's 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.'

While Fox had respectable success with the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four movies (which starred Chris Evans as Johnny Storm pre-Captain America), the former studio saw a Josh Trank-directed 2015 reboot completely tank after a full reshoot, grossing only $167M worldwide. This time, it’s different — it’s Feige’s Fantastic Four.

This success is no small feat, as previous iterations of the Fantastic Four never caught fire with fans or critics. The 2005 and 2007 Fox films were financially adequate but critically derided, and the 2015 reboot was widely panned,

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,

First Steps is now playing in most locations worldwide, and we want to know what ComicBookMovie.com's readers made of the

Fantastic Four: First Steps opened worldwide on Friday and finally knocked Superman off the global top spot, taking $218m (£162m) through to Sunday.

While cinema-goers have responded enthusiastically to many films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the history of the Fantastic Four is less heralded.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is helping Marvel to "get its mojo back", according to early reviews of the new superhero reboot. The 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is "Marvel's best film in a decade", the Telegraph said, while the Guardian commented the studio had "regained its buoyancy".

Now, another reboot, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is debuting, and it’s taking a much different approach than the previous films. The first Fantastic Four comic debuted in 1961, and the new movie will return the beloved superheroes to their '60s roots, offering up a period film full of retro flair.

"We thought, 'Well, let's just start this thing off on a completely new foot,'" director Matt Shakman tells EW.