A 12-Year-Old DC Movie Is Surging Back Onto the Streaming Charts (& We Know Why)

Fans have been dying for a more faithful adaptation of Superman on the big screen, and when they finally got it this week, they ironically looked back at the last iteration for comparison. According to the aggregator FlixPatrol, Man of Steel was the seventh-most-watched movie on HBO and HBO Max in the past week, which makes sense in many ways. James Gunn’s new Superman movie premiered on Friday, kicking off the DC Universe franchise and overwriting the previous DCEU continuity in the process. Even those who didn’t care for Man of Steel may have wanted to compare the two. If nothing else, the streaming surge is a sign that fans are engaging deeply with this material.

Superman has been through a lot of reboots lately, leaving die-hard fans frustrated and casual fans confused. When Man of Steel premiered back in 2013, it was touted as DC Comics’ answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It kicked off the “DC Extended Universe,” leading quickly into crossover films including Batman v. Superman and Justice League. That franchise didn’t last long, nor did DC wait long to launch this reboot.

Man of Steel is the most directly comparable DCEU film to Superman — both are the first in their franchises and both center around the same hero. As far as the DCEU goes, many fans find Man of Steel to be the most watchable on its own. Still, its dark tone and brooding take on Superman (Henry Cavill) drew criticism, especially later as fans felt it set the tone for the entire franchise.

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It’s worth noting that the movie didn’t completely take over HBO’s streaming charts this week. Newly-released movies took the top spots — first Sinners, then A Minecraft Movie, followed by last year’s drama The Outrun, then the relatively recent Wicked. At number five is the 2024 western thriller The Thicket, then the 2022 revenge movie The Northman. Man of Steel straggled behind these, but the fact that it made the list is definitely notable given the timing.

Fans of the new Superman movie have plenty of older titles to look back on at home — in addition to past Superman movies, there is the DCU’s first official series, Creature Commandos, streaming now on HBO Max. There’s also Peacemaker Season 1, which might be worth a rewatch before Season 2 joins the DCU on August 21st. Of course, when all else fails, fans can still catch Superman in theaters now.