Superhero Movies Just Missed a Box Office Milestone for the First Time in 14 Years

2025 has been a tough year for superhero movies. For the first time since 2011, no comic book film managed to reach $700 million at the global box office. Even Superman, which was the year’s biggest comic book release, fell far short of that mark.

By August 22, 2025, Superman had made $344 million in the United States and Canada and $256 million overseas. That gave it a worldwide total of $600 million, which is strong compared to other films this year, but still well below what many expected from a Superman movie.

Marvel’s attempt to bring the Fantastic Four back didn’t work much better. The Fantastic Four: First Steps earned $251.4 million domestically and $222.2 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $473.6 million as of August 21, 2025. The movie dropped by 80 percent in its second weekend, the steepest fall of any superhero film this year.

Captain America: Brave New World also disappointed. According to Deadline, the movie needed $425 million worldwide to break even because of its $180 million budget and high marketing costs. Instead, it made $200.5 million in the U.S. and Canada and $214.6 million internationally, finishing with $415.1 million worldwide, just below the break-even line.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* struggled even more. It was reported that the movie would have needed $425 million to cover its budget and promotion, but called that target “unachievable.” By July 31, 2025, it had only reached $190.3 million domestically and $192.2 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $382.4 million. That makes it one of the lowest-grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe films so far.

Looking back at 2011, superhero movies had mixed results then too, but the numbers were still stronger than what we’ve seen in 2025, especially after adjusting for inflation. Marvel’s Thor earned $181 million domestically and $268.3 million internationally, reaching $449.3 million worldwide. That made it the 15th highest-grossing film of that year.

X-Men: First Class brought in $146.4 million in the U.S. and $207.2 million overseas, with a worldwide total of $353.6 million. Even though it wasn’t a massive hit, it still did well for a reboot.

On the other hand, Green Lantern was considered a flop. It earned $116.6 million in North America and $120.6 million internationally, for $237.2 million worldwide. The Hollywood Reporter said the film would have needed around $500 million to be considered successful, and some outlets reported studio losses as high as $75 million.

Captain America: The First Avenger did a bit better, pulling in $176.7 million in the U.S. and $193.9 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $370.6 million. That was enough to set up the character for bigger success later in The Avengers.

Finally, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance opened in third place at the box office and ended up grossing $51.8 million in North America. Internationally, it made between $80.8 million and $97.4 million, which brought its worldwide total to between $132.6 million and $149.2 million.

The difference is that in 2011, even with misses like Green Lantern and Ghost Rider, superhero movies were still building momentum and finding box office success. In 2025, almost every big release fell short, with most films just barely breaking even or losing money. For the first time in 14 years, comic book movies have failed to deliver a global box office hit.

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