Box Office 2025: Comic Book Movies set to make a COMEBACK with Captain America Brave New World, Superman and The Fantastic Four First Steps

Comic book movies, having faced a tough 2024, are poised for a major comeback in 2025 with Captain America: Brave New World, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps leading the charge.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 05, 2025 | 04:39 PM IST | 7.3K

Picture Courtesy: Disney, Warner Bros.

After years of dominance, comic book movies in Hollywood have hit a rough patch, with several high-profile films not meeting expectations. However, with upcoming releases like Captain America: Brave New World, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, there’s hope that the genre can make a strong comeback.

Before we begin elaborating on the latter point, here’s a look at the lackluster performance of comic book films in 2024 alone:

Film	Worldwide Gross	Budget	Performance
Madame Web	$100 million	$80-$100	Below Expectation
The Crow	$24 million	$50 million	Poor Performance
Venom 3	$478 million	$110 million	Lowest in the Franchise
Kraven the Hunter	$61 million	$100-$130 million	Disappointing

Regarding the upcoming slate of comic book movies reviving the genre, the hope is mostly based on past performances of the franchises. Have a look at it right here:

The Captain America franchise has been a strong performer, with its three solo films and the superhero’s appearances in the Avengers series grossing a combined total of $2.2 billion worldwide. With Captain America 4, officially titled Captain America: Brave New World, set to arrive on February 14, box office trackers are waiting with bated breath to see how much more this particular film adds to the total worldwide gross of the franchise.

The Superman series, including nine films, has collectively grossed $3.59 billion globally, showcasing the character’s enduring popularity. Fans do not expect a lousy performance from the David Cornsweat-starring installment, which is set to greet them in July.

The Fantastic Four franchise has held its own as well, with three films in the series raking in $342 million worldwide. With Fantastic Four: First Steps set to arrive on the heels of Superman, both makers and fans are expecting a robust performance from the offering.

On the flip side, not only does the commercial performance of the three upcoming films matter, but the stakes for them to continue the critical performance—i.e., the legacy of the celebrated franchises—are also high.

Well, only time will tell if the three films can break the slump and bring comic book adaptations back to their blockbuster peak, or if critics who’ve questioned the genre’s credibility for years will have a laugh yet again.