Disney’s Marvel Studios kept its superhero franchise on top as “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” led North American cinemas for a second weekend with an estimated $40 million, according to industry tracker Box Office Report. Ticket sales fell 66 percent from its $117.6 million debut, pulling the film’s domestic total to about $198 million and worldwide haul to roughly $369 million. The picture, produced for about $200 million, logged the steepest second-frame drop for a Marvel release this year and a sharper slide than the 53 percent dip recorded by DC’s “Superman.” Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys 2” opened in second place with $22.2 million, closely mirroring the 2022 original’s launch. Paramount’s rebooted slapstick “The Naked Gun” landed third, grossing $17 million domestically and $11.5 million overseas for a $28.5 million global bow against a $42 million budget. Among holdovers, Warner Bros.’ “Superman” added $13.9 million in its fourth frame, lifting its North American tally to $316 million and worldwide earnings to $551 million. Universal’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” generated $8.7 million, reaching $317 million domestically and $766 million globally. Neon’s horror-comedy “Together” opened to $6.8 million and $10.9 million across its first five days. The weekend’s results leave the summer box-office total running roughly 9.5 percent ahead of last year, but analysts say momentum toward the $4 billion seasonal benchmark now hinges on August releases such as “Freakier Friday” and “Weapons.” Outside the United States, China’s summer box office has surged past ¥7 billion ($972 million) after setting a single-day record of ¥375 million on Sunday, underscoring a broader rebound in global cinema spending.