For better or worse, X-Men: First Class performed like an X-Men picture in its debut weekend, at least in terms of staying power. Like X-Men parts 1, 2, and 4, it had just over a 2.5x weekend multiplier (X-Men: The Last Stand had a mere 2.2x weekend multiplier). Actually, this film film had the second-highest weekend multiplier of the series, with a rock-solid 2.66x just behind the 2.7x multiplier for X2: X-Men United back in 2003. The 60s-set, character actor-filled, and critically acclaimed prequel/reboot opened to $56 million, which is identical to what the first X-Men opened to back in 2000. Of course, adjusted for inflation, the original X-Men’s opening is about $79 million, so obviously there were far fewer tickets sold this time around. And that should be no surprise and no defeat. Unlike the previous trilogy, the film is filled not with fan-favorite mutants that even the general audiences know, but more ‘inside baseball’ characters. There was no Wolverine, no Cyclops, no Storm. The tone of the marketing was low-key and emphasized setting and character over spectacle. Fox did not advertise a thrilling action adventure with Wolverine and his pals, but rather a morose and contemplative science-fiction character drama set in the 1960s, filled with unknowns and respected actors who are not box office draws (the biggest name in the film was arguably Kevin Bacon). This was never going to replicate the massive openings of the previous entries in the series.
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