SUPERMAN Now Set For Potential $230 Million Global Debut Following Highly Positive First Reviews

SUPERMAN Now Set For Potential $230 Million Global Debut Following Highly Positive First Reviews

It seems the positive first reviews have pushed box office estimates for James Gunn's Superman past the $200 million mark, as the movie looks set for a very impressive opening weekend haul...

By MarkCassidy - Jul 08, 2025 05:07 PM EST
Filed Under: Superman

The full review embargo for Superman lifted earlier today, and thanks to a mostly very positive reception from critics, the first ever DCU movie now looks set for an impressive global debut.

Though the movie is still sure to face stiff competition from Universal's mighty Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest updates (per the trades) put James Gunn's reboot on track to take in "at least $200 million" this weekend.

The studio is keeping its estimates a little more conservative with a $100 million to $110 million domestic start, but analysts predict that it could climb as high as $120 million to $130 million, with another $100 million from overseas markets.

Superman had a reported production budget of $200 million (though some outlets are claiming it's closer to $225M), and despite Gunn downplaying how much is actually riding on the movie's success, our introduction to the DCU (in live-action, at least) will be the litmus test for all future projects in this new shared DC Comics universe.

The film is currently sitting at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 118 reviews, which should play a part in packing out theatres for the first few days of release - but positive word-of-mouth is obviously going to be even more important for continued success.

Do you plan on seeing Superman opening weekend?

Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

The cast also Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl has been confirmed to make her debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.

"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted last year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."

You can check out a synopsis for the movie below.

"In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind."

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McMurdo
McMurdo - 7/8/2025, 5:57 PM
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lord22
lord22 - 7/8/2025, 6:01 PM
@McMurdo - as a znyder fan myself i'm very glad to see a superman movie with good review and i hope it will make bank
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 7/8/2025, 5:57 PM
Hope this is a good first step for Gunn's DC film tenure. I like how he's not afraid to have these more obscure characters play a role in this one.
Irregular
Irregular - 7/8/2025, 5:57 PM
Damn! Way over Snyder's $196 million opening weekend worldwide.

Already looks to topple the opening weekend for Man of Steel domestically.
XKnight
XKnight - 7/8/2025, 5:59 PM
@Irregular - is this before or after inflation?
Irregular
Irregular - 7/8/2025, 6:03 PM
@XKnight - Opening weekend before inflation.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/8/2025, 6:13 PM
@XKnight - Inflation is kinda irrelevant (outside of total profit margins depending on respective production costs) when the total BO across ALL film last year was down at 2005 numbers thus way below the average BO per film of when MoS released.

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/
SteviesRightFoo
SteviesRightFoo - 7/8/2025, 6:29 PM
@Irregular - i wish I could forget about the trash snyder released
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 7/8/2025, 6:33 PM
@Apophis71 - they should show the number of tickets sold
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/8/2025, 7:28 PM
@Ryguy88 - They should but never do far as I'm aware and with the rise in ticket prices since 2005 last years total tickets sold would be far, far lower than back then I'd guess.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 7/8/2025, 8:32 PM
@Apophis71 - exactly. That's where using inflation numbers you can estimate and compare the number of tickets sold. Another way to compare success.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/9/2025, 6:09 AM
@Ryguy88 - It would be another way, yes, and I'd argue comparing the numbers of films in differing decades is kinda pointless either way too at the same time.

As in at one point nobody had TV or computer games, thus a larger percent of the population would likely watch films more oft, during times when the economy isn't good folk have less disposable income, stuff like that. So in one way it is fun to compare ticket sales, profit margins, total BO's and all that but ultimately a studio has to cope with whatever the overarching conditions in the year a film ends up released.

If headwinds are REALY strong a film that could have made theoretically a billion 6yrs prior and could potentialy make a billion six years after but if at the specific moment in time demand is slow could end up on half that such as the more obvious case when COVID restrictions were in full force, fear was high etc and for a year almost everything failed to reach break even point, anything that one year that turned a profit thus could be called a hit even if the total BO is realy low compared to similar films just a year prior.

Why rather than looking at the raw number so much in this post pandemic era, I am giving greater focus on how they stack against all other releases of that year.

TLDR, MoS ended up the 4th biggest release of the year domestic back in 2013, for this film to be considered as big or bigger it realy needs to end up 4th too or higher on the list in another measure of comparison.

78' Superman was the 9th biggest domestic release, 81' Superman II came in top for other points of referance.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 7/9/2025, 7:30 AM
@Apophis71 - that's fair, seeing how it ranks in its own year. And wow, didn't know Superman the movie was only 9th the year it came our, thought it was like top 2 or 3.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/9/2025, 7:39 AM
@Ryguy88 - I was shocked to see that too being honest, figured it would have been top 5, but I was a tad naughty, it was a 15th December release and 9th in 78' (with only it's first two weeks counted) but number one the year after, lol. IOW it was less frontloaded than we have become used to but had great legs more than making up for it :D
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 7/9/2025, 8:31 AM
@Apophis71 - haha, that makes more sense, Superman was a pretty huge movie
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/9/2025, 9:20 AM
@Ryguy88 - Yeh and at the time mindset was expecting meh at best for a comic book movie, truly was breaking new ground and there were a LOT more theatres with only one or two screens that had to wait for new releases too. I'd guess without checking similar would have been true for Star Wars as it was groundbreaking for SciFi space film thus expectations would have been low and WoM when FAR exceded all expectations huge.

I mean unsure the UK had any multiplex's outside of London back then, it was huge for us when our nearest City (around 40miles away) got 10 screens at the new Metro centre in Newcastle late 80's, think at most the main city centre one had three (may have been the fourth added prior but in the 70's was only three anyway, our local town was one screen and had to wait at minimum two weeks for the new releases).

So slower start building steam was more common whereas now the vast majority of the returns is expected in those first two weeks, we know CBM's CAN be good and get more insight into if that is likely prior plus WAY more risk of spoilers if we don't go OW and pirate versions out in hours sometimes instead of months.

I was lucky if I saw a poster for most films pre-release in the 70's, no chance on trailers unless attached to another film I went to see plus can end up on streaming after only 45days, the differences in the math patterns is thus HUGE.
RockReigns
RockReigns - 7/8/2025, 5:58 PM
I see it going higher than that.

But this is fantastic.
lord22
lord22 - 7/8/2025, 6:03 PM
i just saw it , you guys are not ready for that movie.
Thing94
Thing94 - 7/8/2025, 6:55 PM
@lord22 - User Comment Image
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 7/8/2025, 7:34 PM
@lord22 - dude, i was ready for this since Gunn became DC head 😭
Moriakum
Moriakum - 7/8/2025, 6:03 PM
So, as much as Quantumania?
lord22
lord22 - 7/8/2025, 7:20 PM
@Moriakum - quantumania is 46% wtf you mean
Fogs
Fogs - 7/8/2025, 7:32 PM
@Moriakum - Let's see how much F4 makes. It will be interesting to see.
Moriakum
Moriakum - 7/8/2025, 7:37 PM
@lord22 - I’m talking about opening weekend box office. Isn’t that the topic of this post?
da2213viking
da2213viking - 7/8/2025, 6:05 PM
I think anywhere between 750-800 million will be considered a win. This movie is like an open invite to the public to come inside and see that the renovated restaurant has been successfully done and you can you rest assure the food is good as well too. If you can get on the crowds good side that faith can be put into this universe its a good thing. Lot of leg work to restore my beloved DC.
F4ntasticClunge
F4ntasticClunge - 7/8/2025, 6:09 PM
This will be the final nail in the snydercucks coffins ⚰️
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/8/2025, 6:10 PM
Looking at all prior projections with some a month ago pointing to upto $200M DBO (even if others dropped down to as little as 90M) and with the reviews landing as they have I could now EASILY see this land on $150 D.OW and over $300M WW.OW but it is a mugs game guestimating anything these days.

I just hope it IS good and makes at least enough to ensure they continue as planned with the DCU, for now at least as theatres need the wins and the genre needs a fresh franchise doing well even whilst I hope the MCU continues to improve and fully return to form so we get a great mutant saga after Secret Wars.

Two connected universes of CBM's doing decent enough numbers should push each other to not be complacent and ensure all projects are the best they can be even if it means delayed releases at times.

Anyways, with all factors considered (overall BO still down and how other CBM's have done) I figured this would at most do a total $750M WW being released tween JW and FF but gloves are off now. I don't THINK it could pass a billion but no longer discounting that as possible and whereas could have seen this flounder around Thunderbolts number it is likely safe for at least $500M (which if budget IS 200 would be break even).

Anyway if the studio is low balling their expectations that is a good thing as no excuses if it reaches or passes that (even if doing so to make a so so BO for Superman sound like a win)
AllsGood
AllsGood - 7/8/2025, 6:10 PM
HIGHER!

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TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 7/8/2025, 6:15 PM
Sweet!!.

Please correct me if I’m wrong but if this happens then it’s one of the few post Co-Vid films to possibly open to 200 million or more globally amongst the likes of Top Gun Maverick , Minecraft etc?.

Anyway , I’m seeing it Saturday so hope I like it!!.

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Drizzt001
Drizzt001 - 7/8/2025, 7:00 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Even the high end of 230 million is not awesome.. Damn did they damage the DC brand.

Spider‑Man: No Way Home (Dec 2021) – $600.5M

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 2022) – $452M

Avatar: The Way of Water (Dec 2022) – $441.7M

Deadpool & Wolverine (Jul 2024) – $444.7M

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Nov 2022) – $331.6M

Jurassic World Dominion (Jun 2022) – $386M

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Apr 2023) – $377.2M

Avatar: The Way of Water appears again—already listed above

Barbie (Jul 2023) – $356.3M

Moana 2 (Nov 2024) – $389.3M

Lilo & Stitch (May 2025) – $341M

Jurassic World Rebirth (Jul 2025) – $322.1M

A Minecraft Movie (Apr 2025) – $313.7M

AllsGood
AllsGood - 7/8/2025, 6:16 PM
MarkCassidy Your Post on X could go either way is it a Fresh or Rotten Tomatoes?
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 7/8/2025, 6:29 PM
@AllsGood - definitely fresh... I'd only go rotten for a movie i really didn't care for.
AnEye
AnEye - 7/8/2025, 9:10 PM
@MarkCassidy - Random, but at your screening did they give trailers? Like a trailer for MK2 or no?
Moriakum
Moriakum - 7/8/2025, 6:18 PM
The fact that is considered a win a Superman movie to open with the same numbers as a mediocre Ant-Man movie shows how deep in the trash DC's brand is.
Arthorious
Arthorious - 7/8/2025, 9:03 PM
@Moriakum - you can thank the previous regime for that. A movie with Batman and Superman couldn’t crack a billion.
EskimoJ
EskimoJ - 7/8/2025, 9:12 PM
@Moriakum - Gotta' start, or restart, somewhere. 🤞🏾 Here's hoping things continue to look up.
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 7/8/2025, 6:20 PM
Told you guys this was going to crush at the box office.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 7/8/2025, 6:25 PM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - Will ONLY Help Marvel Studios Fantastic Four: First Steps as long as it gets good reviews too.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 7/8/2025, 6:28 PM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - It's all about the legs. A front loaded opening weekend is nice and dandy but it needs legs to be a box office success for the studio. Same applies for Jurassic World Rebirth and Fantastic 4
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