The review embargo for Superman lifted yesterday, and with an 86% Tomatometer score based on 151 reviews, it's fair to say that this is a suitably strong start for James Gunn's DCU.
A $230 million debut at the global box office bodes well for Superman's chances of long-term financial success. However, it will still need to contend with strong competition from Jurassic World Rebirth, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and general "superhero fatigue."
We don't know how much Superman needs to break even, but anything over $500 million will likely be considered a win by DC Studios. DC hasn't produced a bona fide hit since 2022's The Batman, so good reviews and a better box office performance than the likes of Black Adam and The Flash are bound to make Warner Bros. Discovery executives happy.
It's worth pointing out that Superman is the best-reviewed DC movie since The Suicide Squad, another DC Comics adaptation helmed by Gunn.
That has 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was followed by The Batman (85%), Black Adam (39%), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (49%), The Flash (63%), Blue Beetle (78%), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (33%), and Joker: Folie à Deux (31%).
According to Superman's "Critics Consensus" on Rotten Tomatoes, "Pulling off the heroic feat of fleshing out a dynamic new world while putting its champion's big, beating heart front and center, this Superman flies high as a Man of Tomorrow grounded in the here and now."
This is a terrific start for Superman ahead of its release this weekend, and bodes well for the type of positive word of mouth that will make or break the DCU movie's chances of being a box office hit in a month with a lot of strong competition.
During a recent interview, Gunn 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."
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