Disney CEO LOSES IT With TRUMP After Fantastic Four Box Office DISASTER! Marvel Goes Out Of Control!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is no stranger to blockbuster success, but its latest venture, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has crashed spectacularly at the box office, igniting a firestorm of controversy that’s reportedly pushed Disney CEO Bob Iger into a heated clash with former President Donald Trump and his supporters. Viral headlines and social media buzz, amplified by YouTube channels and X posts, paint a chaotic picture of a Marvel franchise spiraling out of control. But what’s really going on? Let’s dive into the box office flop, the alleged Iger-Trump feud, and what this means for the MCU’s future.

The Box Office Catastrophe

The Fantastic Four: First Steps, released in July 2025, was billed as Marvel’s bold new chapter, introducing Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) in a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic epic. The film opened strong, pulling in $117.6 million domestically and $218 million globally, ranking as the fourth biggest opening of 2025. Critics were kind, with The Telegraph hailing it as “Marvel’s best in a decade” and ScreenRant noting its positive word-of-mouth.

However, the second weekend was a disaster. The film plummeted 66-67% domestically, earning just $38.7-$40 million, a steeper drop than analysts’ predicted 55-60%. By its fourth weekend, it was scraping by with $8.8 million domestically, with global totals at $370-371.9 million against a $200 million budget. With marketing costs, films typically need to gross 2-2.5 times their budget to break even, meaning First Steps is teetering on the edge of profitability or loss. Variety reported it’s the highest-grossing Fantastic Four film when adjusted for inflation, but that’s cold comfort when compared to MCU hits like Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.3 billion) or even Superman ($850 million), which held stronger with a 53% second-week drop.

What caused the collapse? Industry sources point to a crowded summer slate, with Jurassic World Rebirth and Superman stealing audiences. The Fantastic Four brand also lacks the mainstream pull of Spider-Man or Iron Man—past adaptations (2005, 2007, 2015) were critical or commercial disappointments, possibly leaving audiences wary. Forbes noted, “These characters are not particularly popular,” suggesting the film’s niche appeal couldn’t sustain its early momentum.

The Trump-Iger Clash: Fact or Fiction?

The real drama, though, is the alleged war between Bob Iger and Donald Trump, fueled by viral YouTube videos and X posts with titles like “Disney CEO LOSES IT With TRUMP After Fantastic Four Box Office DISASTER!” These sources claim Iger and Marvel are in panic mode, with the film’s failure blamed on a cultural backlash from Trump supporters and MAGA fans. Some posts suggest Pedro Pascal made inflammatory anti-Trump remarks during the press tour, alienating conservative audiences and sparking a boycott. A YouTube video from August 14, 2025, screamed, “Disney & Marvel in TROUBLE as Fantastic Four FLOPS,” tying the drop to political tensions.

However, evidence of a direct Iger-Trump confrontation is thin. No mainstream outlet confirms specific anti-Trump comments from Iger tied to First Steps. Iger’s public statements, like those during Disney’s August 2025 earnings call, focus on the film’s role in launching “an important franchise” for the MCU, calling it an “original property” despite its reboot status. Variety quoted Iger saying, “We’re introducing those characters to people who are not familiar with them at all,” framing the film as a success despite its 66% drop. X posts from @MCU_Direct and @cosmic_marvel echo this, emphasizing the franchise’s future in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

The Trump angle likely stems from broader cultural tensions. Disney has faced conservative criticism before, notably during its 2022-2023 feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which Trump supported. Iger’s 2017 resignation from Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum over the Paris Climate Agreement withdrawal also strained ties with Trump’s base. Business Insider noted Iger’s cautious approach during a November 2024 earnings call, avoiding Trump’s name while discussing Disney’s strategy, likely to dodge further backlash. X posts like @SirBylHolte’s claim that First Steps lagged behind a “dinosaur movie” because it “didn’t criticize Trump’s immigration policies” reflect the sentiment among some conservative fans, but no verified reports link Iger or Pascal directly to Trump-specific outbursts.

Marvel’s Struggles: A Franchise in Crisis?

The First Steps flop fits a troubling pattern for Marvel. Since Avengers: Endgame (2019), the MCU has faced criticism for oversaturation and declining quality. Films like The Marvels (78% second-week drop, $187 million global), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (70% drop, $476 million), and Captain America: Brave New World (68% drop, $415 million) have underperformed, with The Marvels marking the MCU’s lowest opening at $47 million. Iger admitted in 2023 that Disney’s push for Disney+ content “diluted” quality, with Variety quoting him saying, “Quantity can be a negative when it comes to quality.” The studio scaled back, releasing just one MCU film in 2024 (Deadpool 3) and three in 2025, but First Steps shows the recovery isn’t complete.

Polygon argues the film’s failure to “reignite passion” reflects superhero fatigue, especially for lesser-known teams like the Fantastic Four. Yet, Deadline counters that audiences still crave great superhero films—Deadpool & Wolverine and Superman prove it—suggesting First Steps suffered from execution or marketing missteps. Iger’s focus on “great movies” over quantity, as stated in a 2025 Variety interview, aims to address this, with upcoming releases like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash banking on stronger reception.

The MAGA Factor and Disney’s Dilemma

The viral “MAGA war” narrative, while exaggerated, taps into real cultural divides. Conservative fans, amplified by X and YouTube, feel Hollywood, including Disney, pushes progressive agendas that alienate them. Gina Carano’s 2025 settlement with Disney after her Mandalorian firing highlights ongoing tensions. Breitbart framed First Steps’ drop as part of a string of Disney flops, including Snow White and Elio, suggesting audience rejection of the studio’s direction. Whether Pascal’s alleged comments or Iger’s perceived dismissiveness fueled a boycott is unclear, but the sentiment is palpable online.

Disney, meanwhile, is caught in a bind. Iger’s strategy leans on familiar IP—Freakier Friday, Tron: Ares, Moana (live-action)—while claiming to prioritize “original” content like First Steps. Critics like Outkick slammed this as contradictory, noting the film’s reboot status undermines Iger’s “new IP” narrative. Still, Marvel is committed to the Fantastic Four, with the team set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. ComicBook.com suggests the film’s $520-570 million projected global total could yield a modest profit, softening the “disaster” label.

The Road Ahead

The Fantastic Four: First Steps saga is less about Iger “losing it” with Trump and more about Marvel navigating a tricky landscape. The box office stumble, while not catastrophic, underscores the challenges of reviving a B-tier superhero brand in a post-Endgame world. The alleged MAGA feud, fueled by unverified claims and viral outrage, reflects a broader cultural rift that Disney must address to rebuild trust with all audiences. For now, Iger’s focus on quality and the Fantastic Four’s MCU integration offers hope, but Marvel needs a home run to silence the doubters. Whether that comes with Avengers: Doomsday or a Fantastic Four 2, only time will tell.