The Fantastic Four: First Stepshas been well-received by critics and fans, but taste is subjective, and one Marvel-associated figure is making his disdain for the film publicly known. Rob Liefeld is best known as the co-creator of Deadpool and one of the founders of Image Comics. He’s often controversial among comics fans and known for his hot-tempered social media posts, andFirst Stepsis his latest target.
Liefeld took to X to share a photo of a nearly empty screening ofThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, saying, “I can tell you why there is very little repeat biz on this film. It’s impossibly dull & boring.” Many were quick to point out that the post wasn’t entirely fair, given that 5pm on a Tuesday isn’t prime moviegoing time. Even with discounted movie tickets, most people tend to go later in the day after work. Numerous users disagreed with Liefeld’s statements and praised the MCU title, though Liefeld did have some people who agreed with his take on the film.
MCU’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Reboot Makes More in One Day Than 2015 Film Made In Its Whole Run
In just one day, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is clobberin' the box office gross of 2015’s infamous reboot.
Liefeld’s Complicated History with Marvel
Many have noted that Liefeld seems to have an axe to grind with Marvel. In February 2025,Liefeld made a statement that he was severing ties with Marvelfollowing perceived slights at the premiere ofDeadpool & Wolverine. Since then, he’s called for Kevin Feige to be fired from the head of Marvel Studios and questioned numerous business moves, despite being a big supporter of the company in years prior, particularly in 2024 whenDeadpool & Wolverinewas released.
Liefeld has also offered nothing but praise for James Gunn and DC Studios’Superman. While it’s certainly not unheard of for someone to prefer DC over Marvel, Liefeld’s history raises questions about potential bias and whether he has personal reasons for paintingThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsin a negative light. He’s perfectly within his rights to dislikeThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, but his post does seem more motivated by hurt feelings than anything else.
Despite that nearly empty screening,The Fantastic Four: First Stepsbox is doing just fine at the box office. On the Tuesday when Liefeld posted his photo, the movie made $14.1 million, just behindSuperman’s $17.1 million. Yes,Supermanis performingahead ofThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, as the DC movie made $177 million in its first week of release while the MCU title has grossed $158.3 million. Still, it’ll easily surpass the two previous MCU titles,Captain America: Brave New WorldandThunderbolts*, in a matter of days, and it’s already one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of the year.
Source:Rob Liefeld (X)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
