Hollywood Insiders And Executives Weight In On How Marvel Studios And DC Studios Are Currently Faring

It's proving to be a difficult period for superhero movies in theaters, and a new report takes a deep dive into how Marvel Studios and DC Studios are performing, at least according to those in Hollywood...

News

By JoshWilding - Sep 14, 2025 10:09 AM EST

Filed Under: Marvel Studios

Source: Variety

Like it or not, superhero fatigue does appear to have set in. Marvel Studios has learned that the hard way, and while DC Studios is off to a solid start with Superman, it's hard to shake the feeling that the $614 million box office hit would have made upwards of $1 billion just a few years ago.

Variety has shared an analysis of both studios, noting that Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps "dramatically underperformed" compared to past titles and "barely eked out a profit."

As one agent puts it, the opportunity to join the MCU is "still a crazy, life-changing opportunity" for an actor, but adds, "I don’t have as many clients asking to do one as they were five years ago."

Another executive praises Marvel Studios' shift back to quality over quantity, describing the upcoming Avengers movies as "bulletproof." However, they echoed the thoughts of many fans by stating, "The standalone movies are in trouble, because you feel like you can miss it now." An unnamed director adds, "Any movie could be huge, but nothing is close to a guarantee."

Over to the DCU, despite Superman grossing less worldwide than 2013's Man of Steel, it still surpassed the DCEU's post-pandemic titles with ease.

As one communications executive shares, "[James] Gunn did the most important thing: The first movie he made was really good. If Batman and Superman are humming at the same time, there’s no limit to what they could do."

Despite that, a marketing executive has some doubts about DC Studios' ability to maintain momentum as we head into 2025. "I wish 'Supergirl' and 'Clayface' weren’t the next ones," they lament. "But it’s a pretty confident first step."

While we wait and see what becomes of the DCU next year, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for Marvel Studios. Despite being a co-production with Sony Pictures, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is all but guaranteed to succeed next summer, with Avengers: Doomsday bound to similarly succeed in December (even if it ultimately fails to recapture the same level of success as 2019's Avengers: Endgame).

Looking beyond that, DC Studios will continue to build a new shared world—2027's Man of Tomorrow will be a big step on that front—and Marvel Studios plans to essentially reboot the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars. That fresh start should put the spotlight back on big-name characters, with some key players likely recast (this isn't a "scoop" as such, but we've heard the hunt is on for a new Iron Man).

What are your thoughts on the current state of the MCU and DCU? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Mystery DCU Project Receives An Update From James Gunn Who Confirms He's Not Writing Or Directing It

Recommended For You:

7 Unused Alternate Endings In Marvel Studios Movies That Would Have Massively Changed The MCU

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

40 Comments

SonOfAGif - 9/14/2025, 10:15 AM

I'm genuinely curious how the DC Universe will fair especially with this rumored buyout on the horizon.

TheNewYorkerr - 9/14/2025, 10:27 AM

@SonOfAGif - 🪦

epc1122 - 9/14/2025, 10:27 AM

@SonOfAGif - me too. A lot of what I read i take as pure speculation but from the articles, they seem to think they would stick with Gunn bc it’s so new. DC is a pretty big and I would think starting from scratch again would be confusing, time consuming, and would lose out on money.

AllsGood - 9/14/2025, 10:36 AM

@SonOfAGif - Paramount Plans Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

Any deal would further reshape the media industry, putting CBS News, CNN and two major movie studios under the same corporate umbrella.

Great News for DC fans if it happens.

harryba11zack - 9/14/2025, 10:25 AM

.......badly

TheJok3r - 9/14/2025, 10:27 AM

Wonder Woman should've followed Superman, not Supergirl.

Mrnorth1921 - 9/14/2025, 10:30 AM

@TheJok3r - they had no script. Supergirl was finished and is a great storyline that it is based off.

TheJok3r - 9/14/2025, 10:32 AM

@Mrnorth1921 - The issue is that the public will view it more as a side project, rather than the next big thing. Wonder Woman should've been prioritized.

epc1122 - 9/14/2025, 10:34 AM

@TheJok3r - speculation on my part but I think Gunn is trying build this new universe by building the families of each main character. First is Superman with 3-4 movies with supergirl in the family and then next is going to be Wonder Woman with 1-4 movies. Gunn is going to save Batman last bc we have the Matt reeves Batman and i think Gunn is really not sure if Pattinson should also be in his universe as well.

epc1122 - 9/14/2025, 10:39 AM

@TheJok3r - I don’t think they’ll see it as a side project but a continuation of Superman. I think people may be disappointed that Superman probably isn’t in it or might have a small cameo. I think Gunn is trying to build up Superman and the Superman family since he said the Superman family saga is 3-4 movies. First one was Superman, second one is supergirl, I think Luthor is the third movie and I think the fourth one will be based on Lois.

NonPlayerC - 9/14/2025, 10:50 AM

@TheJok3r - I agree, I dont get Gunns comments on just waiting for a good script. There are decades of adaptable storylines that they could use, so it's not like they are stating from scratch. Pick a character and assign a few writers to write their own script, and either pick the best use use elements of multiple. I know the usual thing is just assign one writer but Gunn was put in charge of the DCU in nov, 2022 right? Ana Nogueira was hired by DC Studios to write the new Wonder Woman movie on July 21, 2025. I just dont believe Gunn's statement that hes just waiting for a good script because you have to assign a writer to the script before you can be expecting said script lol Its just his decision to start the process. Superman was fun and all but had flaws, maybe supergirl will good good but having the first 3 movies of superheroes in the DCU be all super family is a bold choice. Obviously not counting clayface as a hero movie because he is a villain

Superman: (Movie): July 11, 2025
Peacemaker Season 2: (TV Series): August 21, 2025
Lanterns: (TV Series): Early 2026
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow: (Movie): June 26, 2026
Clayface: (Movie): September 11, 2026
Man of Tomorrow: (Movie): July 9, 2027

definitely excited for the lanterns show though

AllsGood - 9/14/2025, 11:20 AM

@TheJok3r - Wonder Woman (2017) was Great 5 Star movie and a huge box office success.

Too soon for a Reboot going to be hard to beat.

2BOOKOO4U - 9/14/2025, 11:21 AM

@Mrnorth1921 - Pump your breaks. You don't know if it's a great script.

Mrnorth1921 - 9/14/2025, 11:29 AM

@2BOOKOO4U - Gunn has been known to green light and produce good products. The comic that is based off is also great. Superman was also good. So I trust that supergirl will be a good film.

centaur - 9/14/2025, 11:45 AM

@Mrnorth1921 - "Gunn has been known to green light and produce good products" when did this happened? i want to see those products and judge for myself

Mrnorth1921 - 9/14/2025, 11:58 AM

@centaur - look at his record. Every film and show he has made in the last 5 years have all been highly received and beloved by both critics and much of the general audience.

Suicide Squad, Guardians 3, Peacemaker season 1, Superman, Creature commandos, and now peacemaker season 2. He makes good quality products. Which means he has a great eye for quality.

Lokiwasright - 9/14/2025, 10:27 AM

Went woke... Again and again and went broke.

FinnishDude - 9/14/2025, 12:07 PM

@Lokiwasright - So, where all the conservative box office record breakers?

Also, Black Panther is easily the most "woke" project Marvel has ever made and also the highest-grossing solo superhero movie, pre-NWH.

HashTagSwagg - 9/14/2025, 10:32 AM

Sick of this Gunnverse, DC needs an actual fully comitted reboot, not whatever this muddied crap is. They don't feel distinct enough from the last couple films before Gunn was given the keys.

AllsGood - 9/14/2025, 10:32 AM

While we wait and see what becomes of the DCU next year, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for Marvel Studios. Despite being a co-production with Sony Pictures, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is all but guaranteed to succeed next summer,

with Avengers: Doomsday bound to similarly succeed in December (even if it ultimately fails to recapture the same level of success as 2019's Avengers: Endgame).

TheNewYorkerr - 9/14/2025, 10:33 AM

Imagine following up Superman with Supergirl when Superman was trash (debatable). Might as well have just did a Hawkgirl or Guy Gardner movie. Shit, Mr. Terrific would’ve been a better option than Superdrunkgirl.

Apophis71 - 9/14/2025, 10:46 AM

@TheNewYorkerr - For a character that has been around since 1959 a good film adaption is LONG overdue and opinions of all things Arrowverse aside her series as part of that increased public awareness of her and odds a good film COULD do well. There were folk saying the same thing about a far less known character who first appeared a few years later back in 2008 and look how well recieved Iron Man ended up being.

Fair to have low expectations, not so to write it off completely before we have seen it, plenty did that with the FIRST Wonder Woman film prior to any trailers too after all.

Wahhvacado - 9/14/2025, 10:34 AM

SuperiorHeckler - 9/14/2025, 10:38 AM

Overall, the patient (MCU/DCU) has stabilized but still far too early to pronounce them fit-and-ready to start cranking-out near-billion dollar movies on a regular schedule just yet. 🤔

DonkeyLift - 9/14/2025, 11:04 AM

The comment about not understanding why James Gunn is waiting for a good script still has me scratching my head. I think that’s what is working differently at the moment and scraping them wins.

2BOOKOO4U - 9/14/2025, 11:19 AM

@DonkeyLift - If Gunn was waiting for a good script he should have never green lit his own Superman.

epc1122 - 9/14/2025, 11:23 AM

@2BOOKOO4U - oh I see, because you didn’t like the movie 👍

DonkeyLift - 9/14/2025, 11:26 AM

@epc1122 - his name going in a special file?

Mrnorth1921 - 9/14/2025, 11:30 AM

@2BOOKOO4U - @2BOOKOO4U - Gunn has been known to green light and produce good products. The comic that is based off is also great. Superman was also good. So I trust that supergirl will be a good film.

epc1122 - 9/14/2025, 11:31 AM

@DonkeyLift - more pointing out his ridiculous comment. Tired of people bashing something just because they don’t like it. I find it insulting to people who did like the movie. While i know it might incite an endless debate, im admittedly just frustrated.

PapaBear562 - 9/14/2025, 11:11 AM

I still don't see why Gunn decided to make a Clayface movie. I mean, come on, that's not a mainstream character that Gunn should try and build the DC around.

epc1122 - 9/14/2025, 11:21 AM

@PapaBear562 - he’s trying to make a universe where it’s not just the main characters similar to what he did with guardians is the galaxy. For years people complained that the universe is more than just Batman and Superman 🤷‍♂️. Can’t we just enjoy a movie without it being exactly like the marvel universe?

Mrnorth1921 - 9/14/2025, 11:32 AM

@PapaBear562 - it’s cheap to produce and it had a good script. Also it’s a horror, the genre is huge now. Smaller budgets and huge returns. And can be a great way to introduce DCU Batman.

FinnishDude - 9/14/2025, 12:11 PM

@PapaBear562 - Yeah, if someone would believe that an unknown property can't be succesful, it would be Gunn...

2BOOKOO4U - 9/14/2025, 11:22 AM

Superman was TRASH. FF was a superior movie.

epc1122 - 9/14/2025, 11:24 AM

@2BOOKOO4U - yeah, real superior.

centaur - 9/14/2025, 11:57 AM

@2BOOKOO4U - the whole reason for the conflict of the entire superman movie was not even shown in the film.

AllsGood - 9/14/2025, 11:48 AM

How about Marvel Studios

1) Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) = $1,921,426,073

2) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) = $859,208,836

3) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) = $955,775,804

4) Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) = $760,928,081

5) Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) = $1,338,073,645

jasonvoorhees - 9/14/2025, 11:48 AM

Both movies were shit. The one was boring AF, the other goofy and infantile.

Forthas - 9/14/2025, 11:51 AM

JOURNALIST:
You are the head of a major motion picture studio. How do you think DC is faring so far?

JAMES GUNN
"[James] Gunn did the most important thing: The first movie he made was really good. You can quote me but as an anonymous source!

JOURNALIST:
You mean like the time you said Superman made $125 million in profit. It made me look stupid!

JAMES GUNN
That is why we pay you! So I don't look stupid!

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

Hollywood Insiders And Executives Weight In On How Marvel Studios And DC Studios Are Currently Faring

It's proving to be a difficult period for superhero movies in theaters, and a new report takes a deep dive into how Marvel Studios and DC Studios are performing, at least according to those in Hollywood...

Mystery DCU Project Receives An Update From James Gunn Who Confirms He's Not Writing Or Directing It

7 Unused Alternate Endings In Marvel Studios Movies That Would Have Massively Changed The MCU

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.