Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns has shattered box office expectations in 2025 by earning $633 million globally, setting a new Demon Slayer box office record. This milestone was reached during its opening weekend, surpassing top international and R-rated animated film records in the United States, and outpaced major superhero films like Marvel’s Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four.
Record-Breaking Launch Surpasses Superhero Competition
The film’s remarkable debut marks the highest-grossing opening weekend ever for an international movie in the U.S. It has exceeded the worldwide revenues of Thunderbolts ($382 million), Fantastic Four ($521 million), and DC’s Superman ($615 million) as of early October. Notably, Demon Slayer’s success denies superhero movies a top ten spot for the first time since 2011, while the beloved Hashira characters’ story is expected to place among the year’s highest-grossing films.
Masterful Animation Elevates the Demon Slayer Experience
What stands out about Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is its appeal primarily to existing fans, as it adapts the Infinity Castle arc from the manga. Viewers unfamiliar with characters such as Tanjiro, Muzan, the Twelve Kizuki, and the Demon Slayer Corps may find the opening confusing, yet the dedicated fanbase has propelled the anime to international acclaim since its 2019 debut. The manga also enjoys sustained success, consistently ranking as a New York Times bestseller and prompting a dedicated manga category.
The movie’s $20 million budget has been transformed into a visual spectacle thanks to ufotable, the animation studio responsible for the series. Their expert use of dynamic camera angles and fluid animation enhances the intensity of each battle. Unlike Marvel’s tendency to blend humor into dramatic scenes, Demon Slayer maintains relentless intensity, interspersed with flashbacks that enrich character depth before climactic sword fights. The anticipation surrounding the final two films in the trilogy highlights ufotable’s strong momentum within the animation industry.
Shifts in Entertainment: Manga’s Rise Over Western Comics
While DC’s Superman remains successful, it faces challenges as the flagship of a rebooted DC Universe that will further unfold with next year’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Although expected blockbusters, Marvel’s Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four have been outperformed by Demon Slayer’s opening. This trend signals a significant pivot in audience interest, marking the end of Marvel’s decade-long dominance and challenging the traditional stronghold of superhero films in the global box office.
The status of Superman and Fantastic Four as the eighth and tenth highest-grossing movies of 2025 may change by year-end, as upcoming releases like the Wicked sequel and Disney’s Avatar: Fire and Ash will affect rankings. The rise of anime’s international popularity—demonstrated by successful films like Solo Leveling, Spy x Family: Code White, and My Hero Academia—suggests a fundamental shift within the adaptation landscape.
Moreover, anime movies tend to require lower production costs, allowing films such as Code White and My Hero Academia to achieve profitability more easily compared to Marvel’s blockbusters like Thunderbolts, which needed to surpass $600 million globally to break even. Looking ahead, Demon Slayer’s remaining two films, set for release in 2027 and 2029, are poised to perform even better, with the final installment projected to become a billion-dollar hit worldwide.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle continues its theatrical run, steadily increasing its box office total and further solidifying its status in global cinema.
