James Gunn's DCU Kickstarter Superman Powers to Biggest Domestic Box Office Launch Ever for a Solo Superman Film

Superman got James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe disconnected to a flyer with a planetary play instrumentality of $217 cardinal astatine the container office.

Domestically, Superman powered to $122 million, which was capable to marque it the biggest home motorboat ever for a solo Superman film, not adjusted for inflation. That’s much than Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, which kicked disconnected the DCEU with $116.7 cardinal domestically successful 2013, and Superman Returns, which deed $52.5 cardinal successful 2006. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which included Justice League characters, launched to $166 cardinal domestically successful 2016.

Superman’s beardown North American motorboat is the biggest superhero movie opening play since past summer’s cardinal dollar blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, which deed $211 cardinal domestically. That means Superman launched bigger than Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* / The New Avengers. It’s besides the biggest DC movie successful a agelong time, and the archetypal to deed a $100 cardinal home container bureau motorboat since Wonder Woman’s $103.3 cardinal successful 2017. Internationally, Superman launched a small brushed with $95 million.

In presumption of 2025 films, Superman is down lone A Minecraft Movie ($162.8 million) and the live-action Lilo & Stitch ($146 million) astatine the home container bureau for motorboat play returns. And compared to anterior James Gunn movies, Superman is 2nd down Guardians of the Galaxy 2 ($146.5 million), but up of the different Guardians films, including 2023's Guardians 3 ($118.2 million).

While Superman has started strong, a fig of questions remain. How volition it fare successful the weeks up arsenic Marvel’s 2025 tentpole The Fantastic Four: First Steps stomps into theaters? And volition Superman settee connected a planetary container bureau full by the extremity of its theatrical tally that makes genitor institution Warner Bros. blessed not conscionable with the film’s performance, but the prospects of its caller DC Universe?

For his part, James Gunn has said rumors surrounding precisely however overmuch wealth Superman needs to marque successful bid to beryllium considered palmy are wide of the mark. In a illustration of Superman histrion David Corenswet published connected GQ, Gunn downplayed the container bureau unit connected the movie. “This is not the riskiest endeavor successful the world,” Gunn said.

Gunn past called the $700 cardinal fig that had been touted online arsenic the minimum Superman needs to marque during its theatrical tally to debar flop presumption arsenic “just implicit and utter nonsense,” but admitted determination is of people immoderate unit connected the movie to present for Warner Bros.

“Is determination thing riding connected it? Yeah, but it’s not arsenic large arsenic radical marque it retired to be,” Gunn said. “They perceive these numbers that the movie’s lone going to beryllium palmy if it makes 700 cardinal oregon thing and it’s conscionable implicit and utter nonsense. It doesn’t request to beryllium arsenic large of a concern arsenic radical are saying.”

We apt won’t get an close representation of Superman’s show until Warner Bros. brag David Zaslav has his accidental during a fiscal call, but it’s casual to spot wherefore there’s much container bureau unit connected Superman than your mean superhero film.

It is, aft all, kickstarting Gunn and chap DC Studios CEO Peter Safran’s rebooted DCU, which already has a fig of eye-catching follow-ups successful the works. For example, Superman leads into the events of HBO Max bid Peacemaker Season 2. Then, adjacent year, the DCU continues connected the large surface with Supergirl starring Milly Alcock, and Clayface starring Tom Rhys Harries. If Superman flops, it volition telephone into question the viability of everything that follows.

Check retired IGN’s Superman reappraisal to find retired what we think, and past caput implicit to our Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained to find retired what it each means.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].