James Gunn’s Superman launched to an impressive start during its opening weekend, earning an estimated $122 million domestically and $95 million internationally, totaling $217 million worldwide. This strong performance marks a significant milestone for the new DC Universe, signaling renewed enthusiasm for the character and the franchise.
Unpacking the Box Office Success of James Gunn’s Superman
This latest Superman installment markedly outperformed recent DC releases, surpassing movies like The Flash, which grossed $55 million on its debut, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom with $27.6 million, and Joker: Folie à Deux, which managed only $37.6 million. As the first feature film in the new DC Universe, such a robust opening is crucial to maintaining momentum and building audience confidence in the franchise’s direction.
Superman also ranks among the top three biggest opening weekends of 2025, trailing only behind A Minecraft Movie’s $162 million and Lilo & Stitch’s $146 million. The last DC film to break the $100 million barrier in opening weekend earnings was The Batman in 2022, which brought in $134 million over three days.
Historical Significance in Superman’s Box Office Record
This release marks the highest opening weekend for a solo Superman film in history. While Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opened with $166 million in 2016, that figure included multiple DC heroes and a larger production budget, reportedly $250 million compared to James Gunn’s $225 million Superman. Notably, Gunn’s film surpassed Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in unadjusted opening weekend revenue, earning $122 million compared to Man of Steel’s $116 million.
However, when factoring in inflation, Man of Steel’s debut equates to approximately $161 million, indicating that while Gunn’s Superman has had a strong introduction, historical comparisons must consider economic adjustments.
Challenges Ahead for Maintaining Box Office Momentum
Though off to a promising start, James Gunn’s Superman must continue to perform well to sustain its success. Upcoming competition includes new releases such as the Smurfs reboot, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and most notably, Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The ongoing contest for audience attention in theaters will test Superman’s staying power over the coming weeks.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why is James Gunn leaving Marvel?
A. In 2018, James Gunn was let go from Marvel because some old, offensive tweets of his, involving jokes about abuse and other sensitive topics, resurfaced and caused a big public upset.
Q. What is James Gunn’s religion?
A. The updated CGI-animated Krypto the Superdog in Gunn’s 2025 Superman adaptation was inspired by Ozu. Gunn grew up in a Catholic household and acknowledges that prayer remains important to him. However, he has also expressed being “in some ways, anti-religion.”
Q. What religion is James Gunn?
A. Gunn grew up in a Catholic household and says prayer is still important to him. However, he also describes himself as “in some ways, anti-religion.”
