SUPERMAN's Budget Could Soar As High As $400 Million Thanks To An Unprecedented Marketing Campaign

SUPERMAN's Budget Could Soar As High As $400 Million Thanks To An Unprecedented Marketing Campaign

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn dismissed the possibility of Superman having a $363 million budget last year, but a new report from the trades suggests that huge figure might not be inaccurate after all...

By JoshWilding - Jun 05, 2025 12:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Last year, Superman made headlines when documents (filed by the movie's production team with the Ohio government to seek incentives) listed the budget as $363.8 million. 

DC Studios co-CEO and Superman director James Gunn was quick to debunk the story, taking to social media to write, "How in the world do they think they know what our budget is?" The only problem with his response was that the documents in question were official; this wasn't a number plucked out of thin air by a social media scooper. 

Recently, we've heard that Superman will cost $225 million after incentives and tax breaks. The Hollywood Reporter, however, disputes the figure. While that may indeed be the cost of production, a robust marketing campaign makes that $363 million figure a little more likely.

"One longtime financier says the $363 million figure isn’t incorrect," writes the trade. "And sources say DC and its parent could spend as much as $200 million on the global marketing campaign, compared with the usual $150 million for an all-audience summer tentpole. It wouldn’t be a surprise, since Superman kicks off the Gunn era and needs to work at the box office."

"Either way, between the production budget and marketing, it’s certain to land in the $400 million club," the report continues. "According to a veteran studio source, Superman, which opens July 11 in North America, is exploding on social media, with the first full trailer raking in 250 million-plus views, the most in Warners/DC history."

It adds, "Based on such metrics, a domestic debut of $175 million or thereabouts is within the realm of possibility; it even has a shot at finishing with $1 billion-plus globally. 'There’s no way to defend these budgets, because when you get into the $700 million to $900 million break-even point in regards to box office and ancillary revenue, it doesn’t make any sense,' says a veteran financier."

While those potential box office figures are good news for Superman, it certainly doesn't sound like the first DCU movie will make a massive profit. Then again, that might not be the point with this one.

DC Studios is looking to restore faith in a tarnished brand, and if they deliver a great movie that grosses $1 billion worldwide, then no one will care how many millions have been made by the studio. The public perception will be that DC is back and better than ever. 

If Superman soars next month, then it will bode well for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Clayface. However, if Deadpool & Wolverine proved anything, it's that one movie's success doesn't necessarily carry over to another (Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*).

How much did The Fantastic Four: First Steps cost? That's not clear, and the movie isn't mentioned in this article. 

Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.

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AllsNotGood
AllsNotGood - 6/5/2025, 12:17 PM
Not to mention the wages of all his friends sorry I meant characters
toylled
toylled - 6/5/2025, 12:24 PM
@AllsNotGood - LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 12:53 PM
$400 million+, good, now Superman's James Gunn will make even less of a profit, bringing our dreams of a better third DCCU closer to reality.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 6/5/2025, 12:56 PM
@AllsNotGood - their wages are smaller than usual, friends give out paycuts 😀
AllsNotGood
AllsNotGood - 6/5/2025, 1:17 PM
@MakeAmericaGrea - should have made a more personal superman film..............now we have the justice gang
Patient2670
Patient2670 - 6/5/2025, 1:36 PM
@MakeAmericaGrea - And you'll scream at the clouds to boycott that one too.
newhire13
newhire13 - 6/6/2025, 3:06 AM
@Patient2670 - Exactly. That’s what losers do.
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 6/5/2025, 12:21 PM
Even if it doesn't make that much of a profit considering the astronomical budget, it could be like Batman begins where it's more about restoring trust than money.
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TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/5/2025, 12:43 PM
@MCUKnight11 - I could see that perhaps if this all is even true that is which I still have my doubts about tbh.
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 6/5/2025, 12:43 PM
@TheVisionary25 - If it's coming from a trade, I believe it.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/5/2025, 12:49 PM
@MCUKnight11 - I might to moreso then if it was some other outlet but they can still be wrong at times
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 6/5/2025, 12:21 PM
$250M production budget + $150M marketing. Seems pretty normal for a franchise movie.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 6/5/2025, 12:25 PM
@Ryguy88 - It's not smart to spend that much on a character that has historically under performed at the box office. It's total insanity that this movie (or any other movie) has to make over $800 million just to break even. These studios must be high when they agree to these spending numbers.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 6/5/2025, 12:31 PM
@TheJok3r - it might not be, but it's not as dumb as spending this on The Marvel's either.

In the end, the accountants cook these books so the taxpayer gets to cover the loses anyways.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 6/5/2025, 1:26 PM
@Ryguy88 - I want to know where the smear campaigners are who would use this same math and label it an absolute flop if it had "Marvel Studios" attached to it.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/5/2025, 1:36 PM
@Ryguy88 - this is literally not news. 400 mil with marketing was already the prediction. That's why the previous article stated 500 mil means profit but 700 means success, per say.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/5/2025, 1:40 PM
@SonOfAGif - I mean this is pretty much par the course for marvel films. Guardians 3 cost 250 mil before marketing.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 6/5/2025, 2:05 PM
@McMurdo - if the cost is $400M for production and marketing, it will need to make roughly $700M - $800Mto break even. $900M to be a real success. Pretty steep bench mark.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 6/5/2025, 2:05 PM
@SonOfAGif - see my comment above
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 6/5/2025, 2:07 PM
@McMurdo - Studios only get roughly half of what a movie makes, so if it makes 500, the studio only gets 250 of the 400 they spent.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/5/2025, 2:21 PM
@TheJok3r - yeah you are completely correct studios typically keep 40 to 60%
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 6/5/2025, 2:29 PM
@Ryguy88 - No. No. No. Cbm.com does not DO math LIKE THAT!

$250M production budget + $150M marketing = $400M

$400M Times 3 = 1.2B

Carry the Idiocy One Degenerate and divide it by my 2 brain cells = 3Billion To save the Universe

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Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 6/5/2025, 3:06 PM
@BlackStar25 - [frick], I must have missed that class. Thank you.
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 6/5/2025, 12:26 PM
I have no doubt, that studio executives are able to balloon their budgets, and pocket the money.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 6/5/2025, 12:26 PM
Gotta spend money to make money🤷🏾‍♂️
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 12:54 PM
Making money is not guaranteed for woke slop in 2025.
theBlackSquare
theBlackSquare - 6/5/2025, 12:30 PM
I think this movie is gonna be great. Great in a funny, entertaining good time at the theatre way. I’m really looking forward to it.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 6/5/2025, 12:38 PM
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good luck with that budget trying to make a profit...

hopefully its a good movie and restores faith in DC which might be even more important
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 6/5/2025, 1:27 PM
@MotherGooseUPus - No Superman movie has ever cracked $1 Billion at the box office. James Gunn is banking on this movie to sell the idea of the DCU in hopes of turning a profit on every entry that comes after such as Supergirl
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 6/5/2025, 2:49 PM
@SonOfAGif - i mean i think i get it but kind of dumb so to speak to make Superman almost a sacrificial movie just to make the others after it more profitable. Like i said, i just hope its a good movie
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/5/2025, 12:42 PM
Man , why is that it’s pretty much always 400 million or so when they are reports about movies going over budget & such nowadays?.

I feel like it was around the same number if not exactly 400 that was reported as the budget for Captain America:Brave New World or even Final Reckoning…

Maybe that is the real number but that just feels weird to me that it all apparently lands in the same range apparently.

Anyway , I’ll leave the box office talk right now for the “experts” online and on this site and just hope that the movie is received well and thus ultimately successful at the B.O!!.

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SuperCat
SuperCat - 6/5/2025, 12:43 PM
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MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 12:55 PM
@SuperCat -

How did you think this up?
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 6/5/2025, 1:28 PM
@SuperCat - You gotta do one of Krypto and Cosmo
AllsNotGood
AllsNotGood - 6/5/2025, 1:34 PM
@SuperCat - you should do one where hes whistling and all the tvs explode in the tom hanks film splash

MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 6/5/2025, 2:47 PM
@SuperCat - HAHAHAHA i can hear this in my head... can't stop laughing, well played sir
SheepishOne
SheepishOne - 6/5/2025, 12:44 PM
So it would then need to make close to $700mil to break even? That’s a pretty steep gamble for DC.

I think you could make a great Superman movie today for a cool $100mil, but what do I know?
Scarilian
Scarilian - 6/5/2025, 12:56 PM
@SheepishOne -
"I think you could make a great Superman movie today for a cool $100mil, but what do I know?"

Yeah, really feels like Gunn has wasted an insane amount of money here on things the audience would'nt really care about if they were not in the movie. Was anyone asking for the Justice Gang? A goofy kaiju monster?

Should have just been Lex Luthor poisoning the public perception of Superman while trying to replace him with his own version of Superman (A Superman clone he controls) that goes rogue during the films final act as a bizarro/ultra-man situation.

No need for all the unnecessary padding and forced aspects that only serve to increase the CGI budget.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 6/5/2025, 1:29 PM
@SheepishOne - I agree. Keep the main villain something like Metallo and have Lex be a background villain and establish Project CADMUS
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 6/5/2025, 1:57 PM
@McMurdo - what about the theaters cut?
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