Superman's $122 Million Box Office Take

A New Dawn for DC Studios

James Gunn’s “Superman” made a strong debut, earning $122 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales over the weekend. This marks a significant milestone for DC Studios as it attempts to revive its superhero cinematic universe. The film is the first release under the leadership of Gunn and Peter Safran, who were recently appointed as co-heads of DC Studios.

This opening was the third largest of 2025 and the first DC title to surpass $100 million in its opening weekend since “Wonder Woman” in 2017. Warner Bros. also celebrated a unique hot streak, with “Superman” being their fifth movie in a row to open over $45 million.

A Shift in Direction

Gunn, known for his work on “Guardians of the Galaxy,” brought an irreverent and idiosyncratic touch to the franchise. While this approach might have seemed unlikely for one of the most beloved brands, it has proven successful thus far. The film’s tone is drastically different from previous iterations, particularly those directed by Zack Snyder. Instead of focusing on Superman’s Kansas origin story, the film picks up after his first defeat.

David Corenswet stars as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Despite not matching the $166 million launch of Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in 2016, “Superman” opened higher than Snyder’s “Man of Steel” when accounting for inflation.

Critical Acclaim and Audience Reception

The film received largely positive reviews, scoring 82% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes—the best for the franchise since the first two movies with Christopher Reeve: “Superman” (1978) and “Superman II” (1980). Audiences gave it an “A-” CinemaScore, indicating strong audience reception.

However, the international performance was relatively softer. In 78 international markets, the film grossed $95 million, with only $6.6 million collected in China. David A. Gross, of FranchiseRe, noted that while the domestic performance was strong, the foreign openings were not equal to the domestic ones. He attributed this to the character’s quintessentially American identity and current global sentiments toward the United States.

Political Discourse and Cultural Impact

As an American icon, “Superman” also sparked political discourse at home. Some right-wing commentators criticized the movie as “woke” after Gunn described the superhero from Krypton as “an immigrant.” On X, the White House posted an image of President Donald Trump as Superman, highlighting the cultural impact of the film.

Competition and Box Office Performance

“Superman” faced considerable competition, with last week’s top film, “Jurassic World Rebirth,” sliding to second place with $40 million. Universal Pictures’ seventh “Jurassic” film experienced a steep 57% drop from its opening weekend. However, “Jurassic World Rebirth” had a thunderous $318.3 million global start, amassing $529.5 million worldwide in two weeks.

Apple Studios’ “F1,” a Formula One action thriller starring Brad Pitt, came in third with $13 million in its third weekend. Distributed by Warner Bros., the film has collected $393.4 million globally in three weeks. However, it carries a hefty price tag of roughly $250 million, plus at least $100 million in promotion.