Entertainment
How High Can ‘Superman’ Fly? James Gunn’s Comic Book Reboot Eyes $130 Million Domestic Debut
Will ticket sales be up, up and away as “Superman” takes off at the box office?
The comic book adventure, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, is aiming for $120 million to $130 million domestically in its opening weekend. However, Warner Bros. and independent tracking services are divided on where the initial ticket sales will land. The studio is offering a more conservative estimate of $100 million to $110 million, while others are projecting that strong reviews could propel the debut above $140 million. “Superman” is expected to collect at least $100 million at the international box office, though that’s likely a cautious estimate as well.
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Although forecasts are all over the place, “Superman” is bracing for a hero’s welcome on the big screen. That’s would be a relief because the $225 million-budgeted tentpole has the lofty ambition of relaunching the DC Universe. That’s after the last iteration of the comic book universe flamed out with several costly bombs, including “The Flash,” “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” “Shazam: Fury of the Gods” and “Blue Beetle.”
James Gunn, who took over the leadership of DC Studios with Peter Safran in 2022, directed “Superman,” which arrives at a time when the box office has been kryptonite for comic book adventures. Even Disney’s once-Teflon Marvel Cinematic Universe has endured a few financial failures with 2024’s “The Marvels” and 2025’s “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts.” That’s to say nothing of Sony’s catastrophic 2024 Marvel spinoffs “Madame Web” and “Kraven the Hunter.” Though Superman will benefit as one of the most recognizable heroes on the planet, and Gunn has proven his bona fides with Marvel’s hugely successful “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, the post-pandemic reality is that nothing at the box office is guaranteed. In the case of Supes, an optimistic protagonist whose motto is “Truth, justice and the American way” could be viewed as either a heaping dose of escapism or painfully out of touch to anyone paying attention to the news.
So far reviews have been positive for the film, which follows Clark Kent’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his adoptive human family in Smallville. Corenswet will be joined on screen by Rachel Brosnahan as Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as unscrupulous tech billionaire Lex Luther, and his four-legged friend Krypto. Critical sentiment may not matter in terms of opening weekend turnout (even 2016’s near-universally reviled “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” opened to $166 million), but positive word-of-mouth will be vital for the movie’s box office staying power.
Gunn has been trying to manage expectations for “Superman,” telling GQ that the film “is not the riskiest endeavor in the world. Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be.” The filmmaker also denied a report that “Superman” needs to make $700 million to be considered a hit for DC. Though that’s true from a financial perspective, a lesser haul would signal that Superman’s popularity is fading. The character’s last solo outing, 2013’s “Man of Steel” with Henry Cavill, managed to generate $670 million globally (not adjusted for inflation). It seems reasonable to expect the newest film to exceed that figure as 12 years have passed.
Given the sprawling, 10-year vision that Gunn and Safran have outlined for the DCU, “Superman” will serve as a litmus test for the franchise’s future. After “Superman” is “Supergirl,” starring Milly Alcock as the Girl of Steel, which has already completed production and will debut in theaters next summer. Then, in various stages of development, there are sequels (“The Batman II” with Robert Pattinson), reboots (a “Wonder Woman” likely without Gal Gadot) and new adventures based on lesser-known characters (“Clayface” with newcomer Tom Rhys Harries).
Though “Superman” will handily soar to the top of box office charts, the Last Son of Krypton could face headwinds from fellow summer blockbuster “Jurassic World Rebirth.” Then another comic book epic, Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” arrives at the end of the month.
Universal’s “Jurassic” sequel, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, is aiming to add $35 million to $45 million in its second weekend — declining 50% to 60% from its debut. After seven days on the big screen, “Jurassic World Rebirth” has earned $147 million domestically and $322 million globally. That’s a mighty start, though the big-budget adventure has a ways to go to reach the box office heights of the prior “Jurassic World” trilogy, each of which surpassed $1 billion.
