‘Superman’ rescues DC at the box office with a $122 million debut

James Gunn’s “Superman” soared to the top of the box office this weekend, giving Warner Bros.’s DC Studios much-needed momentum in the superhero genre after a string of underperforming movies.

“Superman,” which stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, hauled in a robust $122 million in the U.S. and Canada. Globally, “Superman” brought in a total of $217 million.

The movie was a big swing for Burbank-based Warner Bros. and DC, costing an estimated $225 million to produce, not including substantial spending on a global marketing campaign.

“Superman” benefited from mostly positive critics reviews — the movie notched a 82% approval rating on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers liked it too, indicated by an “A-” grade from polling firm CinemaScore and a 93% positive audience rating from Rotten Tomatoes.

The performance for “Superman” fell short of expectations of some analysts, who had projected an opening weekend of $130 million. . Industry observers attributed that to heavy competition in the marketplace from other blockbusters, including Universal’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” and Apple and Warner Bros.’s “F1 The Movie.”

Shortly before its release, “Superman” came under fire from right-wing commentators, who criticized comments Gunn made to the Times of London about how Superman (created by a Jewish writer-artist team in the late 1930s) is an immigrant and that he is “the story of America.”

“If there’s any softness here, it’s overseas,” said industry analyst and consultant David A. Gross in his FranchiseRe newsletter, after describing the domestic opening as “outstanding” for a longrunning superhero franchise.

The movie generated $95 million outside the U.S. and Canada.

Analysts had raised questions about whether Superman’s reputation for earnestly promoting truth, justice and the American way would still appeal to a global audience, particularly as other countries have bristled at the U.S. tariff and trade policies enacted by President Trump.

“Superman has always been identified as a quintessentially American character and story, and in some parts of the world, America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity,” Gross said.

The movie’s overall success is key to a planned reboot and refresh of the DC universe. Gunn and producer Peter Safran were named co-chairmen and co-chief executives of DC Studios in 2022 to help turn around the Warner Bros.-owned superhero brand after a years-long rough patch.

While 2013’s “Man of Steel,” directed by Zack Snyder, and 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” each achieved substantial box office hauls, they did not receive overwhelmingly positive reviews. 2017’s “Justice League,” which was intended to be DC’s version of Marvel Studios’ “Avengers,” was a critical and commercial disaster for the studio.

More recently, films focused on other DC characters such as 2023’s “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” “The Flash” and last year’s “Joker: Folie à Deux” struggled at the box office.

With Gunn and Safran at the helm, the pair are now tasked with creating a cohesive vision and framework for its superhero universe, not unlike its rival Marvel, which has long consolidated control under president Kevin Feige (though its films and shows are handled by different directors).

Starting the new DC epoch with Superman also presented its own unique challenges. Though he is one of the most recognizable superheroes in the world, Superman’s film track record has been a roller coaster. Alternatively sincere, campy or gritty, the Man of Steel has been difficult for filmmakers and producers to strike the right tone.

Gunn’s version of “Superman” — still mostly sincere but a touch of the filmmaker’s signature goofy humor — worked for critics and audiences. It was a tall order, considering some fans still hold Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman,” starring Christopher Reeve, as the gold standard.

“Pinning down ‘Superman’ has been a challenge,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “It’s been like Kryptonite for years for many filmmakers and producers to get it right.”

“Superman” bumped “Jurassic World Rebirth” to second place, which collected $38.8 million domestically over the weekend for a total of $231 million so far. “F1,” Universal’s “How to Train Your Dragon” and Disney-Pixar’s “Elio” rounded out the top five at the box office this weekend.

Later this month, another major superhero movie will enter the summer blockbuster marketplace: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” from Walt Disney Co.-owned Marvel Studios.