James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe has topped the streaming charts on September 22, 2025, proving the new superhero franchise is indeed a huge success. James Gunn became co-CEO of the new DC Studios alongside producer extraordinaire Peter Safran at the end of 2022, and they immediately set to work rebooting the disappointing DC Extended Universe into the new DCU. Initially, there was some concern that the new franchise would flop just as hard as the DCEU, but new statistics prove the DCU is, currently, a resounding success.
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According to FlixPatrol, the streaming charts on September 22, 2025, are topped by Superman for movies and Peacemaker for TV shows. Both these projects have released as part of the official DCU timeline, with the latter releasing weekly on HBO Max and the former being available to stream on the platform since September 19th, following its theatrical premiere on June 11, 2025. Superman and Peacemaker have stormed ahead of their competition, proving that there is audience demand and a great deal of love for the first live-action projects in James Gunn’s new DCU.
Why Superman & Peacemaker Have Been So Successful
During its theatrical release, Superman earned a total of $615.3 million at the global box office, which is far higher than any of the final movies released as part of the former DCEU. The reboot introduced David Corenswet as a more hopeful, optimistic, vibrant, and comic-accurate iteration of Clark Kent’s Superman than Henry Cavill’s version, and this surely contributed to the movie’s success. Zack Snyder and Cavill’s darker take on Superman always received some criticism, but James Gunn has debuted a much more lighthearted and entertaining version that has captured viewers’ imaginations.
Similarly, it’s been wonderful to see John Cena reprise the role of Christopher Smith in Peacemaker season 2. He first appeared in the DCEU’s The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker season 1 – some aspects of these projects have been confirmed to be DCU canon – but has displayed more of his emotional range and vulnerabilities in Peacemaker season 2 that makes him a more well-rounded and relatable hero for the DCU. This has contributed to some huge ratings for Peacemaker season 2, and the additions of Michael Rooker, Tim Meadows, Frank Grillo, Sol Rodríguez, and more have expanded the universe perfectly.
The first few projects in the new DCU, Superman, Peacemaker, and Creature Commandos, have also established a level of interconnectivity that the DCEU was missing for the majority of its run. Superman introduced the Justice Gang, an exciting new superhero team for the DCU, and there are many upcoming DCU movies and TV shows that are highly-anticipated, with Lanterns, Clayface, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and more in production already. The future is looking bright for the DCU, and its current ratings ensure the franchise is starting in an incredibly strong place.
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Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films
