Superman’s new box office milestone is the perfect showcase of how aDC Universesequel makes absolute sense.James Gunn’s Superman movie had a challenging task. It is the first movie in theDCU’s Chapter One, and as such, it was expected to deliver, both in terms of reception and box office. Thankfully, the DC movie has managed to find success.
When it comes to critics and fans,Superman’s reviewshave been predominantly positive. At the time of writing, theDCU’s first movie holds an impressive 91%Rotten Tomatoesscore from fans, while its critics' score is at a respectable 83%. As for its box office,Supermanhas proven itself to be a strong performer domestically, though it has not had the same success internationally.
Still,Supermanis where DC and Gunn needed it to be.Superman’s reported budgetlanded at the $225 million mark. Based on that,the DCU movie needed to finish its worldwide run between $450 million and $562.5 million to break even. At the moment, David Corenswet’s Superman debut has comfortably passed that range, andSupermanjust flew past a key MCU movie.
Superman Will End 2025 As The Highest-Grossing Superhero Movie
Superman’s box office will shatter a 17-year MCU record. While DC only had one movie released in theaters in 2025, Marvel Studios put out three new additions to its shared universe:Captain America: Brave New World,Thunderbolts*, andThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.Of the three MCU movies released in 2025, only the latter could theoretically surpassSuperman’s worldwide total.
Captain America: Brave New World’s box office suffered without Chris Evans, as was said by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, ending at $415.1 million. Despite its New Avengers twist and rebranding right after its opening weekend,Thunderbolts*also underperformed, finishing its theatrical run even lower than the Captain America movie, with just $382.4 million worldwide.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis the MCU’s highest-grossing 2025 movie. However, it is still quite a bit behindSuperman’s current total of $585 million. The MCU Fantastic Four movie’s worldwide total is at $439.6 million. However, based on projections, it will not do much above $500 million, withSupermanwinning at the 2025 box office despite already releasing on digital.
Superman Has Passed The Box Office Of James Gunn’s Most Important MCU Movie
Supermancontinues to fly past superhero movies on both the Marvel and DC sides. When it comes to the latter, the DC Universe’s first movie has becomethe highest-grossing movie to star Superman ever at the domestic box office.Superman’s performance in North America has been very exciting for the future of the DCU, breaking some impressive records.
Recently,Superman’s box office surpassed James Gunn’s most important MCU movie. With its current haul of $334.7 million domestically,Supermanhas left Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxybehind. The Marvel Studios film finished its domestic run with $333.7 million, which I believe was quite the sum for a production based on obscure characters from the comics. Gunn made the team world-famous.
Gunn directed a Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and a Holiday Special for Marvel. However, as the first film in the franchise and the one responsible for making or breaking it for the MCU team, 2014’sGuardians of the Galaxywas undoubtedly the most important entry in the cosmic franchise.Superman’s box office surpassing the MCU movie is quite interesting.
Superman’s New Box Office Milestone Makes It Look Like An Even Better Franchise Starter
On social media, it is easy to find comments about howSupermanhas yet to passMan of Steel’s worldwide box office. That movie also had the task of starting a cinematic universe, but what some do not understand is how it did not have to deal with the baggage of multiple controversial releases, unlike Gunn’sSupermanwith the DCEU.
SinceSupermanis already releasing on digital, its worldwide box office is unlikely to match or surpassMan of Steel’s. However, the fact that it has crossed a James Gunn box office milestone is positive for the film and the DCU.The firstGuardians of the Galaxywas the Marvel trilogy’s lowest-grossing movie, finishing its global run at $772.8 million.
AfterGuardians of the Galaxyestablished the team and the MCU’s cosmic corner,both of its sequels went on to end their global runs in the $800-$900 million range. The same could happen forSuperman, which leaned heavier domestically than internationally. If DC can work out how to balance that for the future, the Superman franchise can build on its success.
James Gunn Is Already Making Sure Superman’s Story Continues
WhileSuperman’s worldwide box office might not be where some thought it would have ended up, the DC movie shows promising signs as a franchise starter. LikeGuardians of the Galaxy,all the elements are there for Gunn to produce even bigger sequels, and the director seems to be wasting no time. Gunn previously revealed he was working onSuperman’s sequel.
However,the project would not be a direct sequel to the Man of Steel movie, though David Corenswet’s Superman was said to play a major role in the story. Recently, that film started to take a more concrete shape. According to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav,Gunn was writing the next movie for the “Super family.“That sparked crossover rumors.
After all,Milly Alcock’s Supergirl debuted in theSuperman movie’s ending. Now,Gunn reveals he has written the treatment for the next entry in the Superman Saga. Adding to that, the director hopes to begin shooting the project soon. WithSuperman’s box office success, the next movie in the character’s DCU corner is already lined up, which is perfect.
