The much-maligned latest version of the Fantastic Four has opened to less than fantastic box office. The Fox-produced film limped to a total of just $26.2 million in the US, marking it as one of the least successful debuts for a big-budget superhero movie in recent years. It failed to unseat the latest Mission: Impossible adventure, Rogue Nation, and puts the studio's future plans for an ongoing franchise in doubt.

　　It is the lowest box office debut for a Marvel property since 2012's Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, but with a production budget of $120 million, its failure to score big with audiences is more pronounced. Outside the US, the picture earned £34.1 million, for a worldwide total of $60.3 million.

　　The film had been hit by bad press well in advance of its release. There were rumors of behind-the-scenes conflict between director Josh Trank and producers, plus extensive reshoots, and there were virtually no advance screenings for critics. Reviews have been scathing, and Trank himself issued a now-deleted tweet that suggested that this version of the film was not his.

　　This is the second incarnation for the classic superhero team that Fox has produced in the past decade, following two films directed by Tim Story--2005's The Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The studio had a sequel to this new film scheduled for a summer 2017 release, but whether that now happens remains to be seen.