James Gunn Maintains That SUPERMAN Doesn't Need To Be A Huge Box Office Hit To Succeed

James Gunn Maintains That SUPERMAN Doesn't Need To Be A Huge Box Office Hit To Succeed

Despite repeated claims that the DCU's future hinges on Superman's success, director and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn maintains that the reboot doesn't need to be a $700 million hit at the box office.

By JoshWilding - Jul 07, 2025 10:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: GQ

We've heard repeatedly that the DCU's future hinges on Superman's success. Lanterns and Supergirl are far enough into production that we're getting them whatever happens, but if Superman bombs, will Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav pull the plug on the DC Studios experiment?

Some would have you believe so, but Superman director and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn maintains that's not the case. Talking to GQ, the filmmaker maintained that the reboot is "not the riskiest endeavor in the world."

He added, "Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be. They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes 700 million or something and it’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying."

It's been widely reported that Superman cost upwards of $330 million to produce and market. However, after what proved to be a disastrous 2023 for the DCEU, Zaslav may be content with a $400 million - $500 million blockbuster that receives positive reviews and restores faith in a tarnished brand.

After all, Superman will eventually be a big draw on HBO Max and we'd imagine Supergirl cost quite a bit less. Clayface is also going to be a lower-budgeted project, so if this is all about reviving a superhero universe that's running on fumes, then Gunn is likely right that there's more at play than Superman needing to be a $700 million hit. 

The Man of Tomorrow's biggest challenge is likely to be superhero fatigue, a problem even Marvel Studios has struggled with over the past few years. Thunderbolts* received rave reviews, but flopped, so can Superman overcome this apparent lack of interest in the genre from moviegoers? 

"I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue," Gunn acknowledged in 2023. "I think it doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character."

"We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring."

Box office tracking for Superman has ranged from a $90 million opening weekend to $200 million, and we're likely still a few days away from having a clearer idea of how things will go for the reboot. As of now, though, most seem to believe it will be somewhere around the $100 million - $120 million mark.

Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.

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TheShellyMan
TheShellyMan - 7/7/2025, 10:17 AM
Over here, I've heard the movie cost $225M to produce, before marketing.
Nonameforme
Nonameforme - 7/7/2025, 11:53 AM
@TheShellyMan - 150/180
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/7/2025, 12:38 PM
@TheShellyMan - In which case it literally does need to become a big box office hit in order to succeed.
Amaru
Amaru - 7/7/2025, 3:00 PM
@ObserverIO - Yes, you know better than him, James Gunn.

You kids are something else.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/7/2025, 3:16 PM
@Amaru - Sorry but if the budget is $225M or higher then yes it does need to be a big hit. The rule of thumb is budget + marketing x 2 = break-even point. The marketing for Superman is [frick]ing massive. It's easily half the budget (also a rule of thumb) probably even more than that. But just sticking to these rules of thumb:

$225M (budget) + $112M (marketing) x 2 = $674M.

Now Gunn says "They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes 700 million or something and it’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying."

So all Gunn is actually saying is that it doesn't need to make $700M meaning it probably does need to make around $674M (just under $700M) to successfully break even.

Now are you telling me that $674M WW would not be a big hit? Of course it is, that's a lot of money.
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 7/7/2025, 3:42 PM
@ObserverIO - Its hard to know who's telling the truth but I guess we'll find out at the end of the box office run. Gunn has been vocal on social media and podcasts that the "sources" from the major outlets like Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, etc. are "exaggerating" the numbers....then the major outlets are saying otherwise. Not sure who to trust, but Gunn says that WB in general will be happy if all their "big budget" films this year just makes it pass 500 mil mark as everyone as the studio and theater chains have been suffering alot.

Lets just hope is not a Black Adam situation again where all parties are saying different things again.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/7/2025, 6:18 PM
@mastakilla39 - For that to be true the budget would have to be around the $150M mark. I know that costume looks cheap, but that dog and Kaiju don't.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/7/2025, 6:22 PM
@mastakilla39 - I guess the real proof will be in the pudding. Even if they keep the numbers close to their chest, if the movie fails then we'll see certain actions taken. Maybe they'll fire Gunn or Safran (or both) or give them different positions and appoint someone else. Maybe they'll just sell DC Studios or the entire WBD entertainment arm to someone else. Maybe it'll be a quieter thing and no executive changes are made but there are no more DCU films put into production.

If the DCU continues as normal then it probably broke even. If it doesn't it probably didn't.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 7/7/2025, 10:18 AM
YES IT [frick]ING DOES. Is this guy serious, or is he doing early damage control because he knows something we don't ?
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 7/7/2025, 10:22 AM
@TheJok3r - he is choosing his words wisely. Ofc they want that but this is showbusiness. Hell, we are actively talking about how it fares so the drama at least is brewing quite nicely
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/7/2025, 10:40 AM
@TheJok3r - A small loss and long term brand trust can be more important in the long run than one big hit followed by diminishing returns. A film can also technicaly flop at the BO but then residuals over decades can result in a long term major profit if a big draw for streaming services and/or broadcast TV paying for rights to air the thing long after the end of it's big screen run (plus merch, games and theme parks etc).

I mean nobody is saying it doesn't factor at all but there is oft more to the calculations when wanting to build a long running franchise.
WaffeX
WaffeX - 7/7/2025, 11:32 AM
@TheJok3r -

User Comment Image
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 7/7/2025, 12:11 PM
@TheJok3r - User Comment Image
Patient2670
Patient2670 - 7/7/2025, 12:38 PM
@TheJok3r - I'm sure he's hearing what we're hearing. So, he's probably doing some preemptive damage control, just in case. If the movie ends up being terrible, or fails at the box office, It's probably more detrimental to his position at the studio than it is to the studio itself. These characters will always be a viable and marketable brand. However, between his rave review of the flash, and the way he gushes about his love of Superman, if this doesn't hit big, people will not trust his opinions and the studio won't want that, running the division. I really want this movie to be good. I'll probably read some reviews as they're released, but I'll also go see the movie and decide for myself.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 7/7/2025, 12:53 PM
@Patient2670 - "These characters will always be a viable and marketable brand."

This has only applied to Batman though. Every time they try to adapt another character, it more often than not fails spectacularly. I just don't see this studio surviving if Superman isn't a major hit, as the brand has never truly managed to get off the ground.
Patient2670
Patient2670 - 7/7/2025, 2:27 PM
@TheJok3r - If this doesn't do well, you may see DC Studios folded back into the broader Warner Bros. portfilio as it used to be. But there'll still be movies about these characters (Maybe not the obscure ones Gunn likes to showcase). Man of Steel wasn't a spectacular failure- not financially, at least. I don't think it did what they had hoped, but it certainly made a profit. Other than Flash, that was the case with most of the films. Superman and Lois did well for 4 seasons on tv. So did Supergirl and most of the Arrowverse. These are characters who have survived and thrived for decades across all mediums. they're pretty safe and the studio will keep trying until one sticks. Just like James Bond or Spider-Man, they'll always cycle back around.
Lisa89
Lisa89 - 7/7/2025, 10:18 AM
He’ll be “maintaining” that all month.
radamo3
radamo3 - 7/7/2025, 10:18 AM
The Internet has completely ruined the movie-going experience. Let’s go back to the days when Siskel & Ebert were only critics we paid attention to, if at all. And back to looking up movie times in the paper. The Internet and social media will be the downfall of society.
Lisa89
Lisa89 - 7/7/2025, 10:21 AM
@radamo3 - Your implication that the internet has not already caused the downfall of society is not well taken.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 7/7/2025, 10:27 AM
@radamo3 - It has nothing to do with the amount of critics. It has everything to do with the current version of cancel culture. It has evolved into hating on everything. Beloved characters are suddenly instantly hated and preyed upon by these cult like tactics to make it fail. People now thrive on watching the downfall of anything they had no interest in.
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 7/7/2025, 11:19 AM
@radamo3 - the internet has caused a shift where nothing can be decent/good. Everything has to be the worst of all time or the best. There’s no middle class anymore so people look to these critics to tell them what their opinions should be
narrow290
narrow290 - 7/7/2025, 10:19 AM
Everyone I know, most everyone on my friends list are going to see this movie of course it'll be a huge hit. Go grab some grass..
spr0cks
spr0cks - 7/7/2025, 11:43 AM
@narrow290 -
You do know what the meaning of the term "anecdotal" means, right?

And also why it's ultimately a flawed way of looking at things....
narrow290
narrow290 - 7/7/2025, 11:56 AM
@spr0cks - Yeah, of course just seems like a lot of people are excited to see it
Spiderfan2226
Spiderfan2226 - 7/7/2025, 6:00 PM
@narrow290 - and no one I know is planning on seeing it. These statements are really more about our different social circles than how well the movie will do.
narrow290
narrow290 - 7/8/2025, 2:01 PM
@Spiderfan2226 - I would get new friends lol
Spiderfan2226
Spiderfan2226 - 7/9/2025, 8:05 AM
@narrow290 - because they don’t actively plan on seeing a Superman movie? Lol
narrow290
narrow290 - 7/9/2025, 10:44 AM
@Spiderfan2226 - 😭😭😭 I’m petty
Spiderfan2226
Spiderfan2226 - 7/9/2025, 12:50 PM
@narrow290 - haha. And to be clear, I’m not a hater. I think Gunn is a talented guy and the movie will probably be good to great.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 7/7/2025, 10:20 AM
It needs roughly 700 mil to break even because math.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 7/7/2025, 10:24 AM
China loves their mo lei tau which Gunn has perfected. It will give a big boost aside from the already good tracking in NA
DarthMauve
DarthMauve - 7/7/2025, 11:49 AM
@vectorsigma - Gunn may include humour in his films, but to describe them as slapstick is ridiculous.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 7/7/2025, 12:21 PM
@DarthMauve - mo lei tau is not slapstick only.
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